THE GREAT SOUTH ROAD.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1989, 20 February 1914, Page 10

THE GREAT SOUTH ROAD.

FROM AUCKLAND TO ■ THE ■ WAI-

(By IWefloftpfoi-'Press teo.eiatioi.s 19.. ' A conference of many local bodies con» : c'emed in. ths maintenance of. the ■ Great South Road, between Auckland and the'' Waikato Was lieM this afternoon,. the Mayor, Mr. C, J. Parr, presiding. The conference was convened by tiro Mayor, owing to, the bad-state of repair hi to which Auckland's.-main artery df traffic •to the south has fallen, and to devise some satisfactory method of .put* tins ft right, anmiidertakinfe beyond the ■ fimited means of the local laodids irt present responsible-for its upkeep." ( Tho scopo'of the .conference has also been 'extended. to - include the •■ Great< North Road-. 'Mr'.. Parr _said that ft" "crtainly was quite' impossible for, Jo'eal bodies along the Tme of route to maintain the road, as-the districts We're in many cases sparsely populated, and the : total road'income small, . Tliey had•done the very best thing they could' under adverse circumstances, ''Person* ally," said-Mr. 'Parr, "I am strongly, in. favour of the 'GoyerMffient taking; over the wHole control of these roads, as is done in other ■cbwntr-ies. > "but- : onea ' w<s claim' that, tlie people of the South Island and in other provinces would de- , maud the same thing. It- would bo a j big contract for. the Government, to take over all. the main road's- of New ■ Zealand. As a matter of .fact, districts outside the Province- af Auckland .which liayo already excellent roads 'would prob- ■ ably object to bo taxed for the upkeep of main arteries in other provinces.; and would prefer to retain the present system. There would consequently be, almost of a certainty; a good deal of outside objection to any proposal that the Government should assume general, control of the- main thorough, fares of New Zealand, and probably such a proposal would be blocked in the House of' Representatives. .Still, "it is absolutely necessary, iu the interests of both city and country, ' that some scheme should bo evolved, and I think the solution of the difficulty would be found in the Government finding half tlio money, and .creating a Board of Main. Roads, commissioned for adtninistrative'purposes." After considerable discussion it was unanimously resolved: "That this conference affirms the principle that the Government should take over the control and upkeep .of all main arterial roads." The Mayor of Hamilton (the mover) said that with the advent of tho motorcar, the local bodies w-ere no longer able to face the task of keeping tho-mahv ■roads in order. A strong committee was , formed to place the views of the conference before the Prime Minister *»d the Minister of Public Works.