ROADS AND BRIDGES CONSTUCTION.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 52, 16 December 1882, Page 3

ROADS AND BRIDGES CONSTUCTION.

. + . Very few applications, in regular or complete form, have yet been received for assistance under the Roads and Bridges .'onst ruction Act of last session. This is-not due to any lack of appreciation of the benefits derivable from it, but rather to over-appreciation. There has been no lack of enquiries, and of irregular applications, but the local bodies seem bent on undertaking more than they can possibly accomplish within the time available. It is expressly provided by the Act that when any local oody desires aid under the Act for the construction of roads, &c, it must prepare proper estimates, plans, and specifications of the proposed work and submit them to the Government for approval. This is a highly necessary provision for guarding against " playing at ducks and drakes" with the public funds. The Act also provides that all applications for the current year must be made prior to the Ist January, 1883, in future prior ta3oth June in each year. The various local bodies seem possessed with a frantic fear that if they do not rush at once into the construction of all their works there will be no money left for them to get. So they ■ implore the Government to. accept their application without the required estimates and plans because it is impossible to complete .-these in time .for the extensive work towards which they seek assistance. i Of course; the Government has no alternative but to carry out the law as it stands, and so it ds probable that a good 'many local bodies, in trying to grasp too much in a limited time, may be too late to obtain anything this financial year. But it really matters but little. The year ends in more than three months, and applica*; tions for the following year can be sent .in up to" 3oth June, innocently overlooking the fact. that if they could not get their application in by the 31st instant, the law did that 'for them. The lesson of, spreading the work over a series of years has yet to be learned, but on thowholei there seems every reason to believe that the new Act will work well and satisfac-' torily. — Post, i