A ROAD DEVIATION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10069, 15 June 1910, Page 5

A ROAD DEVIATION.

!PROPOSED IMPORTANT WORK. MATTER DISCUSSED AT COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING. SURVEY TO BE MADE. A large number of ratepayers in the Masterton and Castlepoint Counties have expressed their wish that a deviation be made on the Taueru Road in the vicinity of the "Devil's Elbow" at the bottom of Bennett's Hill,' going in the direction [of the Taueru, and have consented to be rated for the same. About £500,000 worth of rateable property in s the two counties has been promised, and there will probably be a sum of £750,000 obtainable on which to , strike a rate. A deputation i/stends waiting upon the Castlepoint County Council in connection with the propo- | sition on June 25th. j This imprirtant'matter came before the meeting of the Masterton County j Council yesterday, a letter being received from Mr A. P. Whatman, J jof Abbotsford, asking that the * County Engineer may be instructed to make an estimate of the cost of |the deviation as the deputation wished to be in possession of some data to put'before ihe Castlepoint County Council. ' . ; Cr Welch moved that ths request be granted. Cr Toogood said that the proposed work was oi : a very important character, and in fact would be a far bigger undertaking than most people were aware. It was generally recognised to be an urgently required work, and one which the settlers interested intended to push through. As the deviation proposed wag of particular concern to a large section . of ratepayers in the Masterton County, he was of opinion that a very careful estimate should be obtained, and with this object in view the Council should obtain Mr Guy Wiiiiams' permission for the Engineer to have access to that gentleman's property for the purpose of making the necessary survey. He considered that the resolution should be drafted in this direction. Cr Beetham eaid that he was of opinion after taking into account the importance of the work, that a curßory estimate would be of no use whatever. He could assure the Council that Mr Williams was heartily in sympathy with the proposed work, and would be only too pleased to grant permission for the survey to be made. Cr Murray stated that he had been for many years a staunch advocate of the proposed deviation. When a rr.ember of the Council twenty years | ago, he had brought a similar proposition before the Council, but received no support. After further discussion Cr Welch j altered his motion to read that Mr ! Guy Williams be [applied to for permission to allow the County Engineer 1 to visit hislproperty for the purpose ' of makiDg the necessary survey in ' connection £with the proposed deviation,, and that the Engineer prepare 1 a careful estimate of the cost of ' the work. The motion in this foim ' . was carried.