DISTRICT DIGESTS

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXII, Issue 20, 16 February 1927, Page 5

DISTRICT DIGESTS

“The Hastings-Havelock North road is the best road in New Zealand, and is better than the specifications of the Main Highways Board rccpiire jt. to bo,” stated Mr H. M. Campbell, M.P., to members of the H.B. County Council, on Monday. •"’-Not the slightest sign of crack is to be-seen in-it,>” ke added. -Mt is quite different on the Awatoto road, however, which was laid down in accordance with the specifications. That road has had to be patched in 25 places, and it has hardly keen down twelve months.” These remarks followed a notification from the District Highways Council, that it would now pay the full subsidy on the Hast-ings-Havelock road, providing the County Council undertook to repay the 10 per cent of the subsidy, originally withheld if the road, within tlic next five years, broke up through a departure from the specifications. The Council agreed to give the undertaking. Two men who left their threeseater car parked at Westshore, Napier, on Monday, under a blazing sun, had a very exciting experience. On returning to their car they could smell something burning, but as they could detect nothing wrong, they entered and drove away. After proceeding a short distance, however, the seat of the car burst into flames, setting fire to their coats. The occupants jumped out, and divesting themselves of their coats, managed to extinguish the fire in the car, with sacks, but all the upholstery was destroyed. The people concerned think the outbreak was caused by the concentration, of the strong sun’s rays through the windscreen glass on to the upholstery, the incipient fire being fanned into activity by the subsequent movement of the car through the air.