MAIN HIGHWAYS.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 January 1924, Page 1

MAIN HIGHWAYS.

SITTING OF THE BOARD

WELLINGTON, Jan. 18

The Alain Highways Board assembled for its fourth meeting at Government Buildings to-day. The board gave further consideration to the reprseentatious of the Ashburton County Council in respect to the present grouping in No. 15 Highway District. It was decided to write '<> the Ashburton County Council and again urge that body to further consider the matter of their own accord, enter into the scheme and parieipate in the work of the district highway council. ALAIN HIGHWAYS. The most important business requiring attention at the present time is the selection of the roads which are to he declared as main highways. 1 lie various district highway councils arc required under .Seeiion il (1) o! the Act to submil their recommendations to the hoard. District councils have had this matter under consideration for some time now. and the answers received to inquiries made recently by the board indicate lhat district council's recommendations should reach the board between the end of January and February 11th. The Alain Highways Board, therefore decided to meet again on February loth, to deal with these declarations. VISITS TO DISTRICTS.

Requests have been received by the hoard from certain district councils that members of the board should visit the respective highway districts in order that the district highways council might consult them concerning mailers upon which information is required. It was decided to divide the highway districts between members of the hoard as would best suit their convenience. for the purpose of visiting and to inform district councils that the hoard’s representative would he willing if required to meet them on a date to he mutually agreed upon. The allocation of districts among members was as follows:—Air Wynynrd. districts 1. 2, 3 and 6: Air .Tnil, districts -I, 5, 7 and 8; Afr Bruce, districts 13, 14. 15 and 10: Government members, (listricis !). 10. 11, 12, 17 and 18. FUNDS FROAI TAXATION.

The question of motor vehicle taxation was again considred. ami if was decided to write to the .Minister of Finance requesting that in addition to moneys derived from the tyre tax the main highways fund he credited with the whole of the revenue derived from taxation imposed upon the importation of motor vehicles. It was urged that as (lie present expenditure on main highways was incurred in order to cope with the requirements of motor vehicles it was only reasonable lhat thi> hoard should derive the hellolit of the whole of the revenue obtaind from that source.

The hoard's attention was drawn to the dilliciilties experienced by flocal bodies in obtaining convictions for breaches of the by-laws relating to overloading and exceeding speed limits.

It was resolved that the Government should be ashed to Imve the lav: strengtbelied and made simpler anti inure definite "'itli a. view to overcoming ddlienlties existing at the pi'e- ; out time. GENERAL. The 1 O-ir-.l dtreisi a ~c»J -Asa’. of tinu t” reojidcr itiei: of rules snd n.'illations in onvem operations under the .Main Highways Aet. such as the proeednre. to he adopted with repaid to the carrying out of work. etc., on main highways. After making certain progress it "as decided to refer further consideration until the next meeting, and that in the meantime Messrs flodtrey and Mmrny should confer with a view to drawing up sutiablc regulations to submit to the hoard on Keh. Joth. In the matter of rules and regulations the Main Highways Hoard is keeping steadily in view the necessity for having them as simple as possible in ordei to avoid confusion and to reduce the t< V ed tape" element as much as possible. Ordinary routine work such as the answering of inquiries Horn district councils, etc., occupied considerable time and the hoard, which commenced it s sittings at 11.30 a.in. did not hnish until after -1.30 p.m.