MAIN ROADS QUESTION.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXII, Issue 4323, 28 September 1921, Page 1

MAIN ROADS QUESTION.

POSITION OF BOROUGHS. The following circular letter from Ml- C. A. Mearns, clerk of the Dannevirke Borough Council, is going the rounds of the various local bodies : “I have been instructed by my council to forward you a copy of a petition .which it has presented to His Excellency the Governor-General-in-Coqjacil, and to request you to fully consider same in conjunction with the following facts. “That by reason of the manner in which sections 109 and 119 of the Public Works Act, 19,08, are administered, boroughs and other districts, which should be independent local authorities, can only exist so long as their neighbouring authorities are of men .who refrain from putting the citation law in motion.

“ That when such law is pub in motion, the authority with the greater amount of road mileage, plus bridge construction, ultimately benefits at the expense of the authority with the small er mileage. ’ ■ '- x

“That the application of such law practically nullifies the constitution of a borough or town board, as*" such local, authority can only expend on its own maintenance for the benefit of persons obliged to exist in closely populated areas, the residue of its rating capacity after it has provided all sums required to be paid under commissions to the local authorities representing the landed proprietors living in counties for the maintenance of the roads and bridges leading into such borough or town boaM, and the word “adjacent” in the Act has been held to ap'ply to places 70 miles from the road and bridges to be maintained, the position is one that requires alteration. “That local authorities have now no means of ascertaining their liabilities, by reason of the fac.t that a commission once set up can deal with past maintenance. , “That boroughs can be called upon to pay towards the upkeep of all roads which are used by its inhabitants, and the licensed vehicus plying for hire from such borough are taken as borough traffic quite irrespective of whether the same is conveying borough or county residents or material.

“That it is quite inconsistent with the principles ,of British law, which gives the taxpayer the right to elect I‘epresentatives to expend money raised by way of taxation. “That by a local authority contributing its spending powers on a particular road, which it is receiving contributions from other local bodies for, it can, if it so desires, build up

by liberal “maintenance” a road far better than many so-called constructed roads, at practically no expense to its ratepayers other .than the amount which would be expended by it for ordinary maintenance. “It is hoped that you will give this matter very careful consideration and support this council in its petition in which i-i has requested the Government to fully consider the whole question of contributions toward construction and maintenance ofl roads and bridges by adjacent local author; ities, covered by sections 109 and 119 of The Public Works Act, 1908, in order that legislation be passed that will clearly define and limit local authorities’ responsibilities in this direction, and be conducive to the best interests of local body government throughout the Dominion. “If your council will communicate with the member for your district, your desire to have the law amended in this direction will be appreciated, and my counciValso requests your support to a remit to a like effect which my council is forwarding for the consiedration of the Municipal Conference which will be held next year.” The Minister for Pub’-ic Works wrote acknowledging the Council’s representations re the control of main roads passing through cities and boroughs, and added: "As stated, it is not -proposed to make provision for boroughs and cities in the proposed Main Roads Bill. It is anticipated though “that by the time the suggested Board has had a year’s experience and has ascertained the capacity of local authorities other than those sot out in the proposed Bill to meet requirements, certain provisions may be necessary, but this will greatly depend upon the Board’s recommendations.”