ROADS AND BRIRGES.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 October 1921, Page 3

ROADS AND BRIRGES.

GOVERNMENT GRANTS. EVOLVING A SYSTEM. WELLINGTON, Oct. 1. Various deputations to the Ministei ,f Public. Works (the Hon. .1. G. '’nates) this session, seeking grants to a included in the Public Works Estiaates have discovered, as indicated m i previous telegram, that the Minister < changing the system, so that the Ist of money votes will not depend so niieli upon ' chance knowledge of tnc I position, or the effectiveness oi my locality in organising an impresiivo demonstration of its public works lci'ils. A representative of the “Lyttelton fillies” questioned the Minister ot pollin' Works regarding the innovation mil was given a detailed explanation ,f how it* is t<> be worked, and also the reasons behind Ibis attempt to ■Volvo order, out of what lias largely chaos ill the past. The Minister iirsL outlined the* former method. “I be ~h,.n adojited in the past,” lie said, "has been for county councils to .*»t in their applications which wont Lhrouoh the ofliee uf tbe district engmto the. head olfi.c of the Depart- ( uient. The district engineer invest-.- ( ~a le d the claims and made his recommendations to the bead office. Then Die list was ready for the Minister’s consideration. Meanwhile. local authorities have been making their representations through their members and hy means of deputations. The public L quite familiar with this phrase of our parliamentary life, lor it constitutes a rather large and formidable feature in the day’s work of a Minister. This process of-pressure is almost interminable, but it is hoped to replace it to a great, extent by a. definite system in whirl, the local authorities will ho in our confidence, and able H) effectively co-operate with the PubWorks Department in scouring n f»ir and adequate allocation lor their purposes. The old system involved no cohesion between the Department and Die local bodies: we want them to coopen, to with us, lor our aims are similar—that of constructing roads and bridges for the development of the country on the most effective and econtmical lines. THE NEW SYSTEM. “What we are doing to-day,” contiim.d Mr Coates, “is to first assume or anticipate the amount of money whieit will bo available for tlm road a. 1(1 bridge grants, and with the information we have in the way of history of Cm eminent grants, and the knowledge possessed by departmental officers in tbe different engineering dis t -ic ts, the sum-total is divided up inti the districts. This gives the district engineer an idea of the scope of the grants for the coming year, and wit 1 that informaton he is able t-o suggest : further sub-division an between the counties in fils area, The local bo lie!

make their applications for grants to the district engineer, who, knowing approximately th<* limit of finance, is able to go into tlie details with the county chairmen and engineers, and effect' n further allocation between various works according to their :m----pn tance. The result comes on to Wellington for the Minister’s consideration, As a consequence of the preliminary work which 1 have described, the Minister is in a good position to judge of the needs of local bodies, and can co-operate more effectively with them in improving road facilities in their districts. Tho system is being carefully worked out so as to take into account all the factors essential to equitable working, ft has involved a most complete census of roads and their character, the, rating ability of different districts, and the burdens which hive to be carried by local authorities. 1 am hoping that wo will evolve a method which will automatically allocate (ho money from the Public Works Fund in accordance 'with fixed principles. which will he thoroughly understood by the local authorities who will co-operate with us in carrying out the plan. They will ho in our confidence and will have the advice of tlic Public Works engineers, so that the results ill the shape of local grants will come, not from competition in a system of putting pressure on the Government, but from a mutual assessment of local needs, having regard of course to the over-ruling factor of the sum-total which can be allocnfod by the Government Cor this purpose in any year. A certain proportion of the total sum will have to lie‘retained ,I'or special purposes, such as reading of soldier settlements. and hlackbloeks roads, in which local authorities cannot take a share in construction or maintenance, as they receive little or no revenue from tlic district served.

Th ( . new scheme does not involve fresh added tho Minister, “f propose to work in association with all the systems of local control, utilising present methods rather than scrapping them in favour of new systems.”