PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 5, 1 October 1919, Page 8

PARLIAMENT

[:■ COUNTRY HIGHWAYS ; A ROADING POLICY WANTED The LegislatiVe Council met at 2.30 . p.m. yesterday. BILLS FROM LOWER HOUSE. The Kauri "Gum Industry Amendment • Bill was put through its final stages and ■ passed. The Auckland University College : Site Bill,was read a" second time. The ; Publio Trust Office Amendment Bill was received from tjie House of Eepresenta- ; tives and read a first time. , I I BOARD OF TRADE/BILL. i The Board of Trade Bill was recommitI; ££ i The Hon. Sir Franoia Bell moved to j omit clans© 19 anil insort the, following:—"The Board of Trade may in t any oase delegate tho powers of judicial M inquiry and of investigation conferred ; upon it by this lAiot to any one or more of its members, either alono or together : with any one or more associates of i the " board. The persons to whom any such ■ delegation! is made shall thereupon pos- : eass; all the'powers of the boaid with rcepeqt t» sraoh inquiry or investigation, though not to the exclusion of the board ■itwftf." .- v. / n Sir Frauds Bell reminded the Council of the reason for tho proposed ■ amendment.: It had been drafted to meet ■ the - objection raised by the Hon., Mr. Michel .to "associate members of the W.board being allowed to sit alone with tv, the powers, of tho board. r- The'motion was* carried. -Tho Leader of the Council furthor re- ! ferred to Sir John-Sinclair's contention ' that the special provisions against pro- : ' flteering.' (clause 33) should bo further considered. ' ' • •' 1 The'cliuise .was referred back to tno i r Statutes Revision Committee. k; The Council Tose at 8.17' p.m. THE HOUSE '' -THE ROADING PROBLEM; i . ' The House of Representatives met' at' 2 Mr* 't 18. T. SEDDON (Westland) r moved to 'introduce the, Country Roads V Bill ' He said that he thought the.Wv- ; • ernment should take up the y adraiuistra- '*• tion of country .roads and provide a ■ : more comprehensive systom similar. to i that in Victoria. The; grievances ■a.nd the .general dissatisfaction in regard to i the unkeep of main roads were, general P throughout the country. The Paekakariki • Hill Koad and the AVairarapa Hill Road !:■ were good examples of this. His 8 ' tion 'was that all these roads should be [. handed 'over to the control of. a Roads .' 'Board which could have the assistance ' of Government engineers and could wotk v generally under Government supervision; i Some'legislation to mako,it possible for ■ permanent road3'to be built was urgently ,j (Eden) said that he 1 hoped the Prime Minister would provide bin his policy for ,a comprehensive proi vision for maintenance of country S . He, thought that New. Zealand might well follow': the example of Vic. : ' toria in this matter. . Motorists injfew, >■ Zealand would cheerfully, pay a substan- ■ fel tax if the money was to be expended ; 'on the upkeep.of roads. -Ho did not ' think-finance should present-insuperable , pooLE (Auckland v West) I .South). i "said that Canterbury was more fortunate than the rest of. New Zealand, in having v -nlentv of material for tho making ot • rami roads. 'He thought, the question i now raised was of such importance that i- the HouS) .should not rise without deal-

r .-"f[r!-C b A' WILKINSON (Egmont) said ' that the roading problem ■ the attention of public authorities from to endof NewZ^. . the problem was acute. He believed inat f the nia&way of. the future would-be a i concrete-road, which would prove to be - as much ahead of the-ter-seale<l road as f the tar-sealed road was better than . (; ordinary water-bound macadam road. The i- ouestion of maintenance yas of prime ! importance; and local bodies, Wi •• '•'•ed, funds, could often not afford to build i-WoM e<" slipshod ;ioadway, ■ the maintenance of which might prove <: beyo™ control. The present system Government- subsidies was out of date. ? and anomalous. People were willing to : be-taxed, but-tlie taxation shoultt be mi -posed by some regular system.- The local i bodies should not bo allowed to levy ■ ■ taxes-bv toll-gates or wheal licenses, or i means of this sort. ,He was not sure r that-the -Victorian system r in New -Zealand, but he hoped that tho 1- Government-would take . this, matter up |:;iuriw a» present session. ... ; Motor-car the Trouble, f T K. SEDEY (Dunedin South) said, - that /motor-car had introduced new I conditions into , ,tho roading j'The old type of road would n° JW* I serve. A'new type was needed, and the :• people who say what new ! road should,,be must be experts . Control i- 'should be vested m a board of experts. rSome' part of- the .burden of maintamins; through,-roads ought to be borne by [l/m J. ANDERSON (Matanra) said I that many years ago there haa ! ;been a Kfrqmiifc.jinade of radical local in New .Zealand. This had 5- not taken place. He feared that it ' vrould never Jake ploce because condii; tions changed: so rapidly that whatsuited ; ten years C ago,' would, not suit today. [- Even such a large local body ae-South-i land county could not keep up through s IPoarfte. and ho thought the Government f Should assist with this work. As to i the method of. Government control, lie ; oft>red' no fixed opinions. He suggested • tlint motor traffic ought not to be per- : mitted to exceed thirty miles per hour -fn socod. He thought the Government shbuld- iiet over part of the roads prob-, lem bv using light railways or tram- ; (Mareden) conourred in - the general opinion that the Government ' should take over the control of .roads. Country people, he saw', were willing to face almost any' taxation. to have good T °Mr! W/A. VIiITOH. CWahganui) said !; that there, was need for a revision of the i* railway tariff, with a view to the rau- ■ ways taking traffic off. the roads. I / Ways and Means, I Mr. G. FORBES (Kurunui) said that '' this demand for concrete roads ought ito be dropped. If we were to wait for \ eoncrete roads in this country? it would ? be years 'before anything could bo done ! to the main roads.. The' Minister of r Public Works had very properly ruled ' out this concrete idea, knowing as a ' practical ► man that it was impossible*. S'he cost would be beyond the country 3 - means. ;Some class of road should be - adopted whioh would "servo the needs of ' the oountrv. He urged that the Govern- \ ment should subsidise local bodies to enfable them to get up-to-date road-making ! plants. The Government could also asI sist the local bodies with expert advice, j The qoheme advocated by . tho member Westland would have to come later, p It would not bo possiblo'to have any ■/-policy of road construction without tlio < co-operation of tho local bodies, and the ! State could never drivo the local bodies. ' i Mr. J. A. YOUNG (Waikato) said \ that tho evidence seemod to 'bo that the [ concrete road was to be tlio road of the i future, and concrete was oxpensive. He : advised, the Government to manufacture ! oement for the use of tho State and for - the making of roads. Tho best aid the L Government could givo the local indus- ' tries would be to give tho country good road and railway services. i. The Paekakariki Hill. I Mr. W. H. FIELD (Otaki) said tho I Dominion s6 far had done scarcely any- !' thing towards systematizing tlio mainJ tenanco of country roads. Incroased i motor traffic was making good roads a I necessity, and it was clear that reform- | ed methods of maintenance and admint istration must be adopted, Tho coun- ' try districts could not remain responsible for the maintenance of main arter- | ial roads. Mr. Field emphasised tlio j need of a deviation of the Paekakariki ' Boad. Ho had asked the Minister of f Public Works to Ball a conference of ! local bodies to go into this question, but (jiothiag had been doqo so far, and lie

feared tho Ministor did not propose to .call the conference. The members of the' Automobile Association had offered to provide all the . money required for 'interest and sinking fund on loan money • expended on tho construction of good arterial roads by way of wheel tax or some other tax. The Government ought not to hesitate about proceeding with the work in view of this offer. Wellington's communications with 1 both the Manawatu and the Wairarapa districts demanded attention, and ho hoped the Government wouHd realise the necessity of facing the road question boldly, and dealing with it oneo and for all.

Mr. J. M. DICKSON (Chalmers) and Mr. G. WITTY (Riccarton) urged, tho Government to take up the roads question without further delay, and provido special rovenue by a tax on i tyres.

Mr. H. HOLLAND (Grey) supported the demand for good roads, and said that road-niiiking was clearly a national, and not a local, matter, Sir, Seddon,.in reply, said tho debate had proved that tho Government ought to take up the legislation ho was proposing. He had no hopo of getting his Bill through tho House, but he hoped h<> had succeeded in attracting the attention of Ministers to the subject.'

i The Bill was introduced and read a first time.

N SEAMEN'S VOTES. Mr. A. E. GLOVEII (Auckland Control) moved for leave to introduce the Legislative Anmndment BiUl (No. 3). His proposal, he said, was that the Government should provide special machinery, for the enrolment _of voters,'and not put'tho responsibility on ovor-worked letter-car-riers. Tho'Government dhould ensure tho enrolment of every person entitled to volo. Mr. Qll'over complained that seamen were not adequately protected in their right to vote. Somo of tho (Steamers engaged in the intercolonial trade had bcon registered in London instead of Dunedin, and this change had the effect of depriving New Zealand seamen of their' votes. / Mr. R, SEMPLE (Wellington South) asked for an assurance that provision would bo made for seamen's votes before the session ended. Mr, H. HOLLAND (Grey) said tho disfranchisement of seamen was a blot on the present electoral system. Tho Bill/ after discussion, was introduced and road a first time. The House rose at SM-fl p.m.