MAIN HIGHWAYS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19149, 4 November 1927, Page 10

MAIN HIGHWAYS.

AN AMENDING BILL

INCREASED POWERS FOR BOARD [THE P&EBS SpttUl Sarrtce.] WELLINGTON, November 3. Increased powers are to be given to the Main Highways Board in conducting its affairs and also in the assistance it may give Borough Councils Provision for these is contained in the Main Highways Amendment Bill, read a first time in the House to-night. The Bill provides that the Main Highways Board may pay tlio cost of any experimental work in connexiou with the construction and maintenance of highways out of its revenue fund. The Minister for Public Works (Mr K. S. Williams) said this would give the Board much-needed authority, as at present it had to call on local bodies to do such work.

The transfer of funds from the Revenue Account to the Construction Account is put on a better basis by the Bill. A clause provides that anyamounts transferred to tho Construction Account from the Revenue Account may be repaid to the latter account at such times and in such amounts as the Minister for Finance, after consultation with the Board, may determine. The hold on local bodies to which the Board has delegated its powers with respect to any highway, is to be strengthened by a clause which seeks to empower the Board to withhold from any local authority which has failed to exercise delegated powers to the satisfaction of the Board the payment to which the local body concerned may be entitled for highways under its jurisdiction.

An important clause in the Bill has for its object the giving to the Board of power to increase the. contribution to Borough Councils towards the maintenance and repair of main highways in the boroughs. The contribution is at present limited to the amount contributed per mile on the same highway in the adjoining counties, and it is now suggested that where, in the opinion of the Board, this contribution is insufficient, it may be increased to such an amount as the Board thinks proper.

Another important clause in the Bill seeks to give any local authority, empowered to borrow money for' main highways, further authority to borrow money for .the construction of main highways bridges, which ar« not less. than 30 feet in length. It is provided that if a resolution by a district Highways Council to the effect that the bridge is necessary is confirmed by the Board, the local authority may borrow the money required w'ithou't going through the procedure of the Local Bodies Loans Act of last year witli regard to taking a poll of the ratepayers.