LOWER AWAKINO ROAD.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 March 1922, Page 4

LOWER AWAKINO ROAD.

A VITAL LINK. TE KUITI’S COOPERATION. The Te Kuiti Chronicle states that the president, of the Te Kuiti Chamber of Commerce (Mr. H. T. Morton) visited the lower Awakino Road recently, and he returned with an equally strong conviction as that of the Taranaki delegation that the completion of this road was not only a matter of local necessity, but of national necessity as well. The Chronicle continues:—lt is no exaggeration to say that the state of the Taumatamaire hill—that nightmare to motorists, settlers and others—is indescribably bad. Nobody can have any conception of its dangers and difficulties who has not actually been over it. Accidents occur there at frequent intervals, and if no fatalities are on record, it is due more to the extraordinary luck that seems to attend motorists, than to the absence of risk. Only the other day a prominent resident of Awakino and his wife and family slid over a bank in a motor-car, and after somersaulting several times, landed in some bush about 100 feet down, and miraculously escaped death. Other equally miraculous escapes could be cited, if further proof were required of the constant menace to life and limb that a joumej’ over this awful road entails. And yet a.k this could be avoided, it tne Government would only hasten the completion of the road through the Awakino Valley. Only three and a half miles remain to be completed, but there is only about one man engaged on the job, where there should be eight, or even ten, commensurate with the extreme importance of the road.

Altogether, there appear to be excellent reasons why the two chambers of commerce (Taranaki and Te Kuiti) should heartily co-operate to try to facilitate the early completion of the road. The Minister of Public Works, the Hon. J. G. Coates, has been over the road and fully realises its importance, and if the two chambers combine to ask him to give a more concentrated attention to the road, we believe that he will accede to the request. Tn any case, the importance of the road, from a national standpoint, strongly justifies such an effort.

The president of the Te Kuiti Chamber of Commerce has written to the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce on the same subject. He says:—“l notice that your chamber has been paying a visit to this most important work. It is the only link between the Auckland and Taranaki provinces, and it is most essential that more active steps he taken towards the completion. My chamber is only too anxious to co-op-erate with yours in an endeavor to urge the Government to greater effort. “From a personal visit there last week, it seems to me that they are only playing with the construction of the new road. Indeed, the greater part of that which has been formed is now filled in again with large slips. “Would you kindly let me know what action your chamber is taking, and I should deem it a favor if you would cocperate in the desired direction?”

The Taranaki Chamber has replied showing what has been and is being done to get the Government to push on with the work more energetically, and intimating its desire to co-operate with Te Kuiti, as well as the districts immediately concerned, in completing a work of such vital importance to the country.