THE CONNECTING LINK.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 December 1922, Page 4

THE CONNECTING LINK.

NEW PLYMOUTH AND TE KUITI, FORGED IN THREE MONTHS. At the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce quarterly meeting last evening, the president (Mr. T. C. List) said he had the pleasing announcement to make that the Lower Awakino Road, on which tiie Government had been engaged for so many years, would be open by the end of March next, providing * the weather held reasonably good and the staff of men engaged thereon was not materially diminished. The whole of the metalling would not be complete'’ by then, but it would be suitable for wheel traffic, and infinitely preferable to the Taumatamaire route, which consequently would be cut right out. This was a matter of great importance to the whole district, as the opening of the road, as he had so often stressed, would link Taranaki with the back country and the town of Te Kuiti, affording the people of thia province quick transit connection with the Main Trunk railway, it being possible to make the journey from New Plymouth to Te Kuiti in from io six hours instead of people, going to Auckland by rail being obliged to go to Marton and there cool their heels for several hours awaiting the northern express. He was also pleased to report that by the end of next week, weather permitting, the whole of the metaHing of Mt. Messenger would be completed./ Providing the present progress maintained, it was likely that another five miles of metalling, from the foot of Mt. Messenger to Tongaporutu, would be done by the end of this summer. This meant that the worst part of the road would be attended to. The remainder—between Tongaporutu and Mokau—was more sandy, and negotiable pretty well in any weather. It would take probably two more seasons to complete the metalling. He paid a tribute to the energy displayed on these works by the district engineer (Mr. Ball) and his staff, and lie expressed the hope that the Chamber, perhaps in conjunction with the local Tourist and Expansion League, would be able to organise some kind of opening function at Awakino in April, and arrange to meet the Te Kuiti Chamber, the Piupio Settlers’ AeseeUtion, the Awakino Settlers’ Association, and other of their backblock friends. Perhaps they could also arrange to proceed to Te Kuiti and Waitomo, and extend an invitation to the various back country organisations to pay a visit in turn to New Plymouth and surrounding districts at a inter period. Mr. List said Te Kuiti must become, in the near future, an important tourist centre, for tourists would stop there and take the direct and picturesque route to Taranaki rather than go on by rail to Marton or by river to Wanganui. Then there was the motor traffic from Auckland, Waikate, and other places that would be attracted. The great difficulty he forsaw was the lack of accommodation in New Plymouth, and he asked that they giva this matter their earnest consideration and see what could be done in the new year. Mr. Shaw thought that the Govern■ment -officers and the Public Work# Minister should be complimented upon t|he fine work they were doing on this road.

The chairman said he was satisfied they were doing everything possible to finish the work, and he thought that if a "function were held as suggested, at Awakino, they could invite the Minister and his officers to it. Mr. G. Fraser stressed the importance of the route from a tourist and motorists’ point of view, and felt sure the people of Te Kuiti, as well as of the Waikato, would look towards Awakino and Mokau as their outlet in the summer, whilst the through traffic to New Plymouth would increase enormously.