VOTES FOR ROADS

Hokitika Guardian, 23 July 1929, Page 2

VOTES FOR ROADS

THE ALLOCATIONS. MINISTER EXPLAINS NEW SYSTEM. WELLINGTON, July 20. The system which lie proposes to adopt in regard to the automatic-allo-cation of votes for reading works was outlined by the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. E. A. Ransom) in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon. Mr Ransom said that a false impression of what was in his mind had been conveyed to the people largely because the system was not generally understood. There had been an impression that lie was proposing to do away with the automatic allocations altogether but that was not the case. / He had no intention whatever of departing from that system, but lie did intend to vary the incidence of the allocutions. Last year the amount of money made available under the system of allocations was £421,000, but this year it had been found necessary to decrease this amount to £400,000. In this respect, as well as in some others, some criticism had been levelled at the Government, but it was ail honest attempt on the part of the Government to live within the country’s means. It was felt that £4OO,QCO would meet the reading requirements of the country. Notices had been sent out in respect of the amounts that would be available to the various local bodies, and some concern was felt by local bodies which calculated that the re-allocation would result in their receiving a lesser amount than previously for their reading work. County councils in the Auckland district had made a special plea for consideration, and representatives of those bodies had waited on him in connection with the matter. In order to justify his new scehmo, lie had placed his proposal before the members of the deputation, and had asked them carefully to consider the figures on which he was basing it. The members of the deputation thoroughly considered the position, and they hr.d informed him that, while they could find no fault with Ins proposal they thought the new scheme should not be put into operation in respect of their particular districts. To that request lie could not [accede, because it was owing to such exemptions that the system had previously proved to be inequitable.- There had been certain districts which had been receiving advantageous treatment during the past few years, and other districts had suffered in consequence. In view of that, he thought it was his duty to amend the system of allocation, and endeavour to give fair treatment to all.

THE NEW SCHEME. The scheme under which they had been working during the past few years had been formulated by Air Murray, an officer of the Public Works Department, and while that system had proved satisfactory generally, it had not been correct in all particulars. He had removed several factors from toe allocations which he thought were not operating fairly. The first was the question of area. In some districts there were large areas of land which were not roaded, and never would ho roaded, and should not come into toe calculation on which the allocations were based. He had also removed toe consideration of population. Previously areas with a big population had an extra amount allocated to them owing to that population. He held, and he thought he would have toe support of other members, that districts that had the greatest population were toe districts which were best able to look after their own reading system. It was the more sparsely populated districts which needed the greatest measure of assistance. Then he had also removed the consideration of paper roads. All over the Dominion, the maps showed, there were roads provided for which it was never intended to form’, and in many cases they were not even known to the residents of the districts. He thought that no special value should be placed upon these paper roads when the allocations were being made. The

deductions which lie had made in respect of the items he had mentioned had been added to other items. "When the allocation was .being made the basis on which they worked was that LM ,000,009 was available. The alloca-

tions having been made on that basis, they were reduced in proportion to the 0400,000 , that was actually available. The miles of road in use, apart from the metalled or surfaced roads, previously had a value of £50,000 put upon them, but be had increased that amount to £IOO,OOO. He thought that such roads were entitled ~o greater considerations than they had received in the past. The amount previously allowed in respect of local body loan was £50,000, but lie thought that local bodies which were proposing to raise reading loans in their own district were entitled to greater consideration than that, and he had raised- the amount to £IOO,OOO. The estimated amount required to complete all roads as metal" io,l joads had been fixed at £375,000, •mul the estimated value df Crown and Native land suitable for, settlement had also been fixed at that figure. Those firm res made up the £1,000,000 on which the calculations were fixed. The last item, he thought, was. narticularly deserving of the amount that had been devoted to it, for the value of such land should be taken into consideration if they were going to assist in the development of the land.

TO OVERCOME DIFFICULTIES. Mr Ransom said he recognised that no matter what formula was adopted for the allocations, there would he anomalies. That had also been recognised ay former Minis'ers of Public Works, and the late Mimster bad made ’vortsir.n for £55,000 to be set aside to meet contingencies that might arise d'lr’ng the financial year, particularly with a view to assisting backhlock roads. With that amount available. Mr Ransom said lie believed that anv matters of difficulty that arose could be met,, and lie also believed that in the past applications had been fairly treated and generously met. As there yom thirteen road districts in the Dom'U'on fhp average allocation cJf the £400,000. if each was given an equal proportion of the road vote, would lm j-. 00 -pq T| was recognised that that would not he a wise- distribution of tlm vote, therefore the new system of allocation had been provided in order to overcome the difficulties that would aviso if tlm same allocation were made to eacn. The Mmistcr said that represent.rtions tyad been made to him from the North Auckland district—Whangarei, Auckland, and. Tauranga—in respect .to the allocations. If an even distribution of the road vote were made, each road district would receive £47,180, the Auckland road district £78,687, and the Tauranga road district £48.793—an average of £58,887 each, or £28,118 more than the Dominion average. That showed,that under the formula lie had adopted in respect to ti e automatic allocation of the reading vote those districts were still favourably ; treated, and it was fully recognised that they required favourable treatment tQ enable them to carry out their reading schemes.