STATE GRANTS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1530, 28 August 1912, Page 2

STATE GRANTS.

, ».- ■ "' GISBOBNE COUNTY' GEIEVANCES; A' deputation representing the Cook County and the Waikohu County waited on tho Hon. W. Fraser, Minister for Public Works yesterday. Tho deputation was introduced bv Sir James Carroll and Mr.'W. D. Macdonald, M.P. Mr. H. Kenway, chairman of the Cook. County Council, addressed tho Minister on tho subject of tho conditions upon which Stato grants wore mad© to the various counties. Grant?, ho said, woro now made on a rather arbitrary system, and each county 1 got whatever it could. Also, there was' a limit to the amount the countv councils could get. The system of allocation, he thought, should bo one by which, tho counties in a relatively inferior position as to access, etc., should get 'extra considsration. There should bo a classification of counties so that the counties which had suffered most through not receiving Stato grants should rcccivo preferential treatment. Tho bases of consideration should bo valuation, population, area, rate struck by tho local authority, railway communication (railways relieved the wear and tear on roads), sim>lv of road metal, and so on. Such a system would ensure fairer treatment to all. Both the counties which tho deputation represented were in relatively poor positions regarding Government grants. Respecting the construction of bridges* Mr. Kenwav said that the Department insisted on structures considerably stronger than what was necessary. He thought that tho county engineer should bo the best judge' of 'local requirements, and therefore, ought to lie given greater authority. The county engineer, too, was only allowed to pass work up to 0C250 in value until recently, when a former Minister for Public Works had increased the amount to .£IOOO. Mr. Kenway suggested a further increase to £2M. '"Wo mako this request," ho said, "for the reason, not that wo complain of'the manner of the inspection of our plans, but that in many, cases such plans havo been sent to Wellington, and, for reasons which wo don't understand, havo remained hero for threo or four months, at times six months. By then the time for doing tho work has passed, and wo aro forced to do the work in tho winter, which, as you know, is tho most oxpensivo time." In the course of some observations, Mr. C. H. Williams complained that owing to an award of- tho Arbitration Court, tho countv engineer could not re-engage men who had just finished ono job' without first communicating with tho I/abour Bureau. For instance, if a gang of men had been working satisfactorily on one job, and another job was about to be commenced, tho county engineer could not re-cneagc thofe men," but would have to tako them back to town and apply to the Labour Bureau, from which he would havo to take tho first men on tho list, men who might be quite unsuitable for the work. This 'was a serious matter to the county, for whose work reliable and cx«"riene<!fl men were needed. The Minister: Are you sure that that it; n fact, or is it only common report? Mr. .Williams: I am not sure, but it 13 common Teport. The Hon. W. Fraser said that fchs question of tho classification of local bodies with a .view fo allocating grants was ono which ho hiul advocated for some timebill- the matter was more a question of local eovprnniont. Ho would like to see a system whereby once the sum to bo stierit on roads and brides had been decided upon it could be allocated pro rata ns the needs of the counties required. That subiect was receiving the consideration of th« Government, but everything could not bo done at once, and Hie pref»nt. system would have to stand for tbis ' Inspecting the point raised by Mr. WilHams as to the rc-enwucnt of men, the Minister said flint Mr. Wi Imirn's statement was news to htm, and that tho sytom romnlaiiKxl of did not annlv to works which tho Government had in 1 Mr' ltehw.iv said thnt the Award i-hieh affected the 'counties tenresentwl by the dennfation might not apply to any other counties. i ~, Tho Minister nrotnlsod io carefully consider llifl divpnla'tiflli's request.*;.