WEST COAST ROADS

Hokitika Guardian, 17 May 1933, Page 3

WEST COAST ROADS

COMPARATIVE SPENDING

CANTERBURY’S SHARE

CHRISTCHURCH, May 16

The general council of the Canterbury Automobile Association met - last evening, the chairman, ..'■■Mr Wi R. Carey, presiding. ,

Tlie Po ds Committee reported that letters .had 'been received from the G>eymouth branch concerning the completion of the K.umara-Flowerv Creek deviation, involving; a distance of four miles. It was stated that communications had been sent • to tho Main Highways. Board '.and to the < Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, forme,. Minister for Public Works, 'who had Replied that lie had placed the question' before the Minister for Employment and the IJnetpp’oyment Board ior consideration. It was stated that the Highways 'B° ard had agreed to consider the question- at its next meeting.

Comparative figures showing tne expenditure by the Main Highways Bor.ro on West Coast and Canterbury roads were supplied by the board to the Greymouth branch and quoted by the Roads Committee. It wf« shown that the sum spent on in the West Coast No. 12 District last year was ,£86,837, as against a total of £100,715 in the three Canterbury districts, Nos. 13, 14, and 15. ■Since the inception of the Highways Board a total of £528,775' had been spent in the West Coast district, this including earthquake -damage repairs. During the .same period a total- of £560,442 had been .spent in the three C nterburv districts. “Tt will be seen from these figures.”, the committee said, “that the West Coast has received a very large proportion of the highways funds, taking population and mileage , into consideration.” ,

DIFFERENCES IN EXPENDITURE

AND REVENUE

■Mr ,F. W. Freema n remarked it was somewhat am’/.ing to find so much /highways money being spent on the West Coast. The differing amounts were all the more impressive when at was stated that there was a total of 4000 motor vehicles on the West Coast as compared with 38,000 in the three Canterbury districts, which contributed a very. much larger sum by way of highways taxation. Tbe Roads Committee iilso recommended that the question of paving a portion of theoipain arterial highways between Rakaia bridge and,, Rolleston should he taken, up with the Highways Board.

The report was adopted., The enrolment of 29 new members was approved, making a total of 385 singe the end of last July.