MAIN HIGHWAYS BOARD.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5127, 18 May 1927, Page 4

MAIN HIGHWAYS BOARD.

HAS FUND OF £900,000.

THE POSITION EXPLAINED.

“Motorists may think tint it was wrong of the Main Highways Beard to have accumulated funds amounting to £900,000, but tnere were reasons for it. The increased subsidies to county councils for road maintenance are- going to eat into the revenue account so much that this nest-egg will soon be consumed, and I predict that in a few years’ time the rates will have to be increased.”

These statements were- made by a member of the Main Highways Board (Mr C. J. Talbot) at the conference at Mt. Cook last week. Mr Talbot is also chairman of the Mackenzie County Council. Because the cost of the roads was borne by motorists, said Mr Talbot, the counties should consider main highways as county and not riding roads. One reasoon for the accumulation of funds was that the board had had to start with a’cautious policy. It did not know what revenue was going to come in, so 103 was given as a subsidy for every £1 spent by counties on maintenance. As the revenue of the board began to.grow so the subsidy was increased to £1 -for £l. Latterly it had been, in some cases, 30s for every £1 spent by the counties.

The increased subsidy was enlarging the cost of the board, tn the first year of the board’s existence each mile of road had cost £53, in the next year between £7l and £72, and last year £lOO, though the estimate had been £9O. The increase over the estimate was due to the greater subsidy. It was anticipated that next year each mile of road would involve an expenditure of £l2O. In this way the accumulated funds would be drawn upon, and rates, in the speaker’s, opinion, would have to be raised within the next few years.

“In one riding of a county not far from Mount Cook the rate is only continued Mr Talbot. “It would be of no use asking the Government for assistance when the rate was as low as that. It will have to be inttreased, and as the money is spent by county councils the settlers have an opportunity of checking over whether the expenditure has been wise and reasonable. Compared with the South Island, rates are very high in some counties of the North, but farmers are prepared to pay, as they realise the value of good roads.”