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Hokitika Guardian, 14 June 1922, Page 2

Thu conference in regard to the Highways Bill in Wellington last week, does not appear to have reached any unanimous decision on the measure. The Minister of Public Works is very anxious to reach sonic solution of the question, but the interests ate so complex and conflicting that it seems quite impossible to meet tile wishes of all on the different phases of the subject. The hill aims at the control of the main high way from Auckland to the Bti ff. A weakness of the position seems to lie the creation of another Government department to control the job. That step will add to the voverhead costs of administration as was found to lie the position in the times when a Roads Doartnient was set up. The principle of good roads is excellent. and if tile question of cost can he met satisfactorily, without adding unduly to the burden of the country financially, it would he well to see the proposal go ahead at full steam. But there will of necessity he heavy costs, and it would appear that the main highway being determined u)>on. it would he both cheapest and best to use existing authorities and staffs to work out the problem. The Government is creating a special fund by the tyre tax. and this amount could he spread over the local bodies according to the length of main highway in a particular locality. A general specification as to the kind of ion,] considered necessary could ho decided upon, and on this through local engineers anil road staffs, the main roads could he improved equal to the requirements. A general scheme of this nature spread through the length of both Islands would give the host oil round results, for the improvement would he enjoyed all along the route from the outset, and not ill gradual effect were the main road only to he handled from one end, and slowly moved along to the other objective.

Bbsiuks the country cannot afford to concentrate only on main highways. Apart from the fact that such roads will at once enter into competition with the railways, and the fact that they can meet the requirements only of a section of the ratepayers, there has to he considered the further fact, that the railways need good feeders, and also that the ratepayers in the backhlocks who are mainstay in production and natural wealth, should by no means he overlooked. Tire main highways will certainly he competitive with the railways for various classes of traffic. They will not he as wholly utilitarian as good district roads which arc required for service purposes to reach the markets. The ratepayers will not regard it as satisfactory that the whole of the tyre tax should he reserved only for main highways. Motor traffic of varying degree use the district roads and roughly use them aft times. The ratepayers will not submit to tlie whole control of the traffic being apportioned as their particular hur_ den seeing that the Government is appropriating revenue from tyre tax to class roads. The Minister to he fah< in the matter must give special con-, sideration to the maintenance of district roads which in some circumstances are as important ns main roads. Whe- J ther they are called primary, second-J

ary or tertiary roads is not the point, _tlie real issue is, what is their traffic in relation to the settlement and development of the district they serve? Really it will become difficult to define satisfactorily what are main roads, foi many by roads are of the greatest value for the transport of primary products to ..market, and it is to that traffic the country is most beholden for its greatest development, present and prospective.