MAIN ROADS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17472, 5 June 1922, Page 3

MAIN ROADS.

IMPOBTANT CONFERENCE THIS WEEK The conference called by the Minister of Public Works to consider the question of arterial roads is to meet in Wellington on Wednesday. I Representatives of the Counties' Association, the automobile unions, and the good roads associations have been invited to attend this conference, and the Minister has indicated that he wishes the delegates to discuss the principles that are to govern til© construction and maintenance of main roads throughout the Dominion. Representatives of the counties, the motorists and other local bodies have arranged to hold a preliminary conference on Tuesday tor the consideration of details. They may be able to arrive at some decisions that will simplify the work of the main conference. The chief points to be considered are control and finance. The Minister will have suggestions to make, but ho has said that the delegates will be free to put forward and discuss any proposals they please. One of the features of the main roads scheme put forward by the Minister last year was the specification of certain arterial roads that were to receive first attention. Many of the counties objected to this arrangement on the ground that it would involve the postponement of the works in which they were particularly interested. The conference will have to face the fact that it will be impossible for the Government or any other controlling authority to undertake the construction and improvement of all the required <ir terial roads at the same time, but the difficulty may be overcome by incorporating in the scheme some special financial provisions for the use of district authorities. The Minister has gathered much information concerning what other countries have done, fcsues of road bonds have proved very successful in some parts of America.