CONTROL OF ROADS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 8, 4 October 1919, Page 9

CONTROL OF ROADS

ADVISORY BOARD SUGGESTED

' The report of the committee set up. by the. conference of the Counties' 1 Associa- ■ lion to bring down recommendations with, regard to ,the control of the IvigliM ways df 'the Dominion, was submitted to the conference yesterday by the president of tho association,' Mr. A. B. Jull. Mr. Jull stated that while the commit-1 teo approved of resolutions passed at previous conferences to tho'effect that i the local authorities and'not the Gqvornr.menfr should bo 'the' road controlling au-' tliorities;' tiioj-" .suggesteil • thai 'in View 1 of' the "altered' traffic "conditions; I 'and 'that the Government was-to bo asked t<> grant further financial assistance to local bodies, the 'local bodies should show their senso of fairness by suggesting tho establishment of a board of advice. ." Thd board should consist of two members who would bo appointed'by the Government, blit one of whom would be Tioni. inated' by tho county councils. .Along with tbo Government, the county councils should share.: in-the administration expenses of tho board, the functions of which would be to advise the'.local bodies and' the Government, as to the standard of road construction that should be adopted, to deal with questions of ro alignment or deviation of tbe main thoroughfares before permanent works were constructed, and to correlate data that would be'useful to' the various local body engineers, :The. board would be also charged with the duty of- apportioning the contributions-from districts in w-liicii works were being'-carried out, ■ The committee thought that the' setting iip' of the board would make for the' improve ment of roading conditions. By tho adoption of the proposals made 'bv the committee the local bodies would be able to show the people that they were able to control the Toads under"'the advice of competent persons, and- Jhat there was no need to band over control of the roads to the' Government', or to Government appointees- At.least,one.!'of the 'members of the advisary board would tie '.an engineer of known ability in rond construction methods..'. Should it be found' that permanent reconstruction of roads was desirable then the work should bo done out. of loans. The loans should 'be raised by the Government, and the money advanced to the local authorities at the lowest possible rate of interest. Tf the system ns recommended by the committee were adonted, then the. county council administration of the. country would. V.on its trial. It would be for the pe.ople who administered county affairs, to show that they were .competent to carry out the necessary road works ofthe Dominion. ~ The report of the committee was adopt, ed .unanimously.