DRASTIC REDUCTIONS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 191, 26 July 1940, Page 5

DRASTIC REDUCTIONS

ROAD AND BRIDGE GRANTS RIGOROUSLY PRUNED FIFTY PER CENT DECREASE COUNCIL TO PROTEST TO MINISTER It was decided that the responsible Minister be respect-, rfully advised that the Council views with grave concern the: reduction in grants, especially for essential bridges, and that he be asked to review the bridge grants and the .highway ■allocations for the Whakatane 'County, after the County Coun •cil had learned of the drastic reductions made in highways grants for the current year. The County Chairman; Mr J. L. 33Urnett, advised the Council that he had attended the meeting of the Highways Board at Tauranga. .said it would be recalled that ' the Public Works statement for Sthe year had been qut by about 20 iper cent but the cut on the roads grant for the Whakatane County was 50 per cent. For maintenance - In the . No. 3 Area the allocation wvas slightly more but the reduction for construction was consider.able.. The actual reduction for all :grants was froii'. £3950 to. £2050. In the past, said Mr Burnett, it !had been found that the allocations were only enough for bare repair work but now things would fall away. The benzine restrictions did not apply, the Chairman added, as there was still a vast -amount of traffic on the roads. The Council had a lengthy list "when it came to bridges tltot had to be maintained and reconstructed -and he had commented to the District Engineer on the absence of bridge grants. If the war were prolonged the Council would be in an •.extremely serious position with the Ibridges. Intolerable Burden. r The position as a whole was so "serious that the Council should not accept the figures without a protest ;to the Minister, Mr Burnett . conitinued. No one would complain -about the pruning-knife but roads ■were important and the cut should have been made in other directions. "The big reduction or the absence of •subsidies would mean an intolei':nble burden on the ratepayer, who was entitled to some call on the 'Consolidated Fund. In stating that it was futile to attend" the Main Highways Board meeting Mr Burnett said that there was no question of :a discussion on roading mat- ! ters, as everything was all cut and dried and those attending Tiad no alternative but to ac-< cept the position. The County Engineer, Mr C. H. Brebner, said he had budget ted ov. the grants and was committed in some directions. The cut would mean that a lot of work would have to be stopped. Position Outlined. In his report, the Engineer showid the amounts applied for and the 'rants made, the latter, i!n the following _table, being shown in parentheses:—■ Awaiti Bridge £50 (£50); Downlord's Bridge £150 (£150); Kopeopcc Drain Road £270 (£270); Godmond': Road £200 (£200); Ruatoki Road; £600 (£240); Titoki Bridge £70( (nil); Kopuriki Stream' Bridge £120( (nil); Omehfeu Outfall Bridge £701 (nil); Awaiti Bridge £350 (nil) Bank Road £67 (nili); Te Toko-Gal-atea £500, (nili); Lines Sst. Bridge £80 (nil).' Total £4817 (£910). It will be seen that no money ha been granted for new bridges an< that the item of £600 for the con " "traction of roads at Ruatoki ha: lH l)een reduced to £240. The sum al f located, together with the Count; contribution, Avill be sufficient t< •carry out the work immediately nc cessary. The total subsidies grant ed amount to just over 18 per ccn •of the sum applied.for. The following maintenance sub sidies on secondary highways wer applied for, the. grants being show in parentheses and the third grou showing the amounts granted fo 1939-40: Thornton-Edgecumbe £100 (£350 £550; Matatn-Rotoma £1200 (£9OO £1800; Whakatane-Wainui £90 £900 (£550) £1200; Station Roa £300 (£250) £100. Totals £280 (£2050) £3950. Expenditure Eliminated. Continuing his report, Mr Brel ner said that at the request of th Highways Board the amounts ai plied for for the coming year wei ■reduced from £3950 to £2800 bv .(Continued foot next column).

the Board made a further cut tc £2050. With County subsidies added £5266 was available i'or expenditure last year. This year the total amount available lor secondary highways would amount to only £2733, a reduction of nearly 50 pei cent. . "It may be possible to secure* additional money as the year goes on," the report concluded; "but in the meantime expenditure is being reduced to. conform with the amount of money at present available. The two Diesel driven planers will take over additional territory and the petrol driven planer will work reduced hours. There will 1 be no question of the County! shouldering any of the surfacemen or plant expenditure that would ordinarily go on to secondary highways. This expenditure unfortunately wiill be, and is being, eliminated."