NETHERTON ROADS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4801, 23 January 1925, Page 1

NETHERTON ROADS.

APPLICATION FOR SUBSIDY. » THE MINISTER’S REPLY. In reply to the county engineer's request for a promise of a Government subsidy in connection with, the council’s proposed Netherten riding loan, and also with reference to similar representations made to the Hon, Minister for Landis, the Hon. J. G. Coates has written to the Hauraki Plains County Council advising that the matter, as promised, had been carefully considered. He pointed out that the Government did not make a practice of subsidising a loan itself as an etirety, but subsidies were granted on the various individual items under that loan. It could read ily be seen that if the subsidy to be granted on the loan itpelf, and the allocation thereof left in the hands of the council, great difficulty would be experienced in keeping track of tne expenditure on various items, and endless confusion, so far as payment of the Government subsidy was concerned, would be the result. The council’s requect for the promise of a Government £ for £ subsidy was by no means isolated or uncommon, and local bodies generally held the view that such a promise would facilitate the sanctioning of the loan as far ais ratepayers were concerned. This no doubt would be so, but it was poirited out that it was hardly competent for the Minister to commit the Governiqent over a period of years by makthe Minister, or his predecessors as ing such a promise. In no case had far as he could ascertain, committed Cabinet in this manner, and the policy had always been in. cases such as this to point out to local bodies that the question of a Government subsidy oi. items under a loan was very largely a matter with which they, in conjunction with the district engineer, could themselves deal.

The Minister .pointed out the procedure to be . followed in regard to grants and subsidies, and said that the items under a local body loan could only be dealt with on the Public Works roads estimates from year to year, and that if the council was successful in raising its proposed Netherton riding loan he would be pleased, should application for subsidy be made when next year’s estimates were being prepared, to carefully consider what provision could be made. fhe Minister concluded by offering his hearty appreciation of the efforts of those local bodies who were sufficiently courageous to embark on a sound policy of loans for development purposes, and said that he was always pleased to assist them with subsidies to the fullest extent of funds placed at his disposal, but regretted that he was unable, for obvious reasons, to make a definite promise to grant a subsidy on a loan and by sb doing commit the Government over a more or less lengthy period. Or. Hare explained that a meeting of ratepayers had been held, but for various reasons, including the lack of information on the subsidy question, no resolution had been carried. It was intended to hold a further meeting in the near future.