ROADING OF THE KING COUNTRY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 872, 19 July 1910, Page 8

ROADING OF THE KING COUNTRY.

re THE STATE DOING ENOUGH? 1 | "A HUMBUGGING SYSTEM." j What Mr. W. T. Jennings, II.P. for j. 'Taumarunui, described as' a "united, de- , "termined and reasonable" . deputation | from the King Country waited on the j . Prime' Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) and j i. the Minister for Public Works (Hon. ! f. ,R. M'Kenzic) yesterday,, and asked for i i a more vigorous roading policy in' that I district. . >■ ' It was explained by Mr. Jennings that j ■ during the past five months road works i j lad not been attended to at all in the 1 King Country. Three years ago the set- : I tiers were delighted with -and grateful 1 j f° r the forward policy adopted, but this i j year they were dissatisfied, and' 'justly , i 60, at the lack of progress. Probably ' i . (this was due to a combination of circum- i stances,, but ' the fact'' remained that in ! 1908-09,- <£62,566 had. been spent in the . electorate in roads and, bridges, and in : 1909.-10 ,£51,583, whilst up to June 30 for 1 (the year 1910-11' only .£8039. ; Mr. Scholes, chairman of the Waitomo 1 ; County. Council, -said it was impossible' 1 • at Present to get produce out to the mar- ! j set, for the roads were impassable for ' seven months in the year. The authority ■to expend money was too long delayed, " v a thai the summer had gone before the work was commenced. 1 Mr. bteyenson, chairman of the Ohura County Council, said the Government were handing over a number of roads to 1 * the county, and the. burden was too great He suggested that the by-roads should be made 12ft. wide and handed over in good condition. The Government should ' i itself undertake the upkeep of one main md in such districts. The council objected to plans having, to be forwarded j to Wellington before the works could r proceed. It was true that the Government must exercise some control, but the present system was too humbugging. These remarks were endorsed by the chairmen of adjoining counties. Sir Joseph AVard said the Government desired to help settlers in every way it a? t i-L a m istake to suppose that the large sum of money (,£600,0001 placed on the Estimates for roads last year had not been expended. Between tho authorisations county councils had expended, the amount the Roads Department had expended, and the authorisations passed, there was. over' .EGOd.OOO for the year. The Minister for Public Works would consider the representations made. As to the request that if grants irere administered by local bodies, five per cent, should be allowed for clerical and other expenses, he pointed out that this would mean ,£17,0U0 or ,£IB,OOO a year to the country, and it would bo cheaper to revert to the old system of administering the. grants through tho Bonds Department. , ■ The Hon. R. M'Kenzie said the expenditure on.public works in the Taumarunui electorate during the past two years was .£209,699. If money was spent in other electorates proportionately, on a basis of population, the Government would have I to borrow eight millions per annum for | public works. The amount spent in the ( Taumarunui electorate during the past fifteen months was ,£15,371. The Governi ' ment was spending at the rato of .£IOO,OOO per annum in this electorate.