The Times. Published on Tuesday and Friday Afternoons. TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 1921. THE MAIN ARTERIAL ROADS.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 614, 8 March 1921, Page 4

The Times. Published on Tuesday and Friday Afternoons.

TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 1921. THE MAIN ARTERIAL ROADS.

If Mr. M. H. Wynyard, president of the Good Roads Association, is not suffering from, a complete misapprehension regarding the intentions of the Government in respect to the main roads of the Dominion, he has disclosed what appears to us a most improper legislative proposal. Giving evidence at Te Kuiti before the County Boundaries Commission, he is reported to have said that the Minister for Public Works had informed him that a Bill had been drafted dealing with the question of taking over by the Government of the arterial roads throughout New Zealand. These roads were to be placed in charge of an authority apart from local bodies. A body would be selected in each district and from these a board composed of a Government representative and a representative of the motorists would exercise complete control of the section of main road in that district. Funds would be raised by a levy on motor and a contribution from the Government, .combined with a rated amount from the counties. The county would have no jurisdiction at all over these roads. If Mr. Coates is lending himself to so gross an attempt to impose taxation without representation, as is interpreted by these two last sentences, he would be well advised in giving the matter a little more thought before circulating the Bill. We imagine, that it will be difficult to make the proposal that the land of the farmers should be assessed for rates, over the spending of which they have no say, palatable to either the County Councils or the ratepay-* ers. And quite apart from this aspect of the matter the connection of Mr Coates with the' scheme will give rise to the fear that the wasteful and ineffective methods of the I üblic Works Department will be applied to the formation and maintenance of main roads. At all events this is no time to talk of fresh rates. With farm products at the price they are, it should be the main concern of every rating authority to make all possible effort to reduce the rates, rather than increase them. We are glad, however, to see that there is a proposal to tax motor cars. For years we have pointed out that this is the only country in the Empire where car owners were allowed to destroy the roads Without contributing towards their maintenance. And surely the privileges of being allowed to make the highways unsafe for the ratepayers who have to make and keep them, and of rendering their homes almost uninhabitable on account of the dust raised by the high speed of “road hogs” is worth paying for. We are told that Mr. Coates’ Bill is to be circulated after the short session of Parliament has ,closed, and we trust the County Councils will give it most careful attention, and if it is found to be of the nature Mr. Wynyard has foreshadowed, leave no stone unturned to prevent it passing into law.

“We nothing extenuate, nor aught set down in malice.”