THE MAIN ROADS BILL.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 675, 14 October 1921, Page 5

THE MAIN ROADS BILL.

-OPPOSED BY COUNTIES AS3O-

CIATION.

At Tuesday’s meeting of the Manukau County Council the New Zealand Counties Association forwarded a circular letter asking the Council to support it in opposing (the Minister of Public Works’ Main Roads Bill, and forwarded the following resolutions . (1) “That the New Zealand Counties Association feels that it would he most prejudicial to the local government of the Dominion for the State to fake control of the main roads ; (2) That the conference again approve of a tax being imposed on motor tyres as a contribution towards road maintenance; (3). That this conference suggests that in lieu of the present system of subsidy of 10s in the £ on general rates in Counties be granted, except upon such portion of general rates expended on hospital contribution (such n subsidy would produce approximately £400,000 per annum in addition to the amounts now paid) ; (4) That fhe conference suggests that such subsidy be expended on the main traffic roads in each county, such roads to be defined by a Board for each of the North and South Islands, repreentatives of the Government, and the County Councils, and such expenditure to be approved by the said Boards The aboVe subsidy will be in addition to any rates expended on these roads.”

The Main Highways Bill proposes that the Government shall take over certain arterial roads in nearly all cases running parallel with the railways, iand it also concentrates all motor taxation together with large Government monetary assistance on such iroads, as against the roads which in most cases are carrying the settlers’ produce to the railways, The decision of the conference w T as pracically unanimous in oppostiion to the Bill.

The chairman stated that all local bodies were promised a copy of the Main Roads Bill, but so far they had not received one. He suggested deferring the matter until a copy of the Bill was received, as at the present they were in the dark as to its contents. His suggestion was adopted.