ROAD TO KAWHIA

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20500, 17 May 1938, Page 13

ROAD TO KAWHIA

NEW HIGHWAY UNLIKELY “ GET FARMERS OUT OF MUD ” SCHEME ESTIMATED AT £90,000 The fact that the Minister of Public Works, the Hon* R. Semple, would probably not consent to the expenditure of £90,000 for the construction of a new main highway from Hamilton to Kawhia while the backblock people of the Raglan County were still "in the mud’’ was mentioned at the meeting of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce last evening, when the matter of the construction of a new road, which had been discussed in committee at the previous meeting of the chamber, arose again last evening when the secretary, Mr R. R. V. Challiner, further reported on the matter and correspondence from the Kawhia Town Board was tabled. The matter was not carried very much iurther and the discussion was adjourned until Mr W. Hall-Jones, district engineer of the Public Works Department, could meet the chamber. Mr Challiner said that the possibility of completing the road through the Moerangl block, which would mean about eight miles only of new construction work, had been discussed by him with' Mr Hall-Jones. The engineer was of the opinion that the work would cost at least £90,000 and he considered it unlikely that the Minister of Public Works would ajgree to such an expenditure. The Minister would probably not desire to spend that much money in the Kawhia County where the population was sparsely situated, especially in view of his determination to provide the backblock people in the Raglan County with better roads which would free them from the mud. Furthermore, the Kawhia County would probably not have sufficient funds to provide its share of the capital outlay. Central Market Out of Reach A communication from the Kawhia Town Board expressed the anxiety of the people of that town that the road through the Moerangi block should be oompleted. Many of the farmers who desired to market their stock at Frankton Junction were prevented from doing so as the present route was far too long for the convenient transport of the animals. The board considered it ridiculous that eight miles of road should cost over £IO,OOO per mile to construct especially in view of the fact that the oountry in the vicinity was not difficult. The board could see, however, that such a cost would make the scheme prohibitive unless Hamilton saw the possibilities of using Kawhia as Its harbour. A committee from the chamber will seek further information on the project.