MAIN HIGHWAYS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5159, 1 August 1927, Page 3

MAIN HIGHWAYS.

REDUCTION IN EXPENDITURE. LIMITED AMOUNT AVAILABLE. Tentative, figures in connection 1 with the annual estimates, submitter at the monthly meeting of the Main Highways Board, indicate that a considerable reduction will have to be made in the amounts applied for by local authorities for expenditure during the forthcoming year on construction works. The total cash available for construction purposes this year will be in the vicinity of £550,000, and even this sum can only be obtained by transferring £350,000' from the revenue fund, while applications have already been received for a sum of over £900,000. The Act requires district highway councils, and, in turn, the board, to make an annual review of main highways, and in terms of the Act a total of 975 additional miles of main highway were recommended by district highway councils- for declaration. Estimates of. future income and eixpenditure indicate that the excess of expenditure over income, added to transfer from revenue fund referred to above, will probably extinguish the credit balance in the board’s] revenue fund very soon. This, added to the fact that there' are already heavy commitments against the capital found annually available- to the board, will not permit the board taking on any substantial additional responsibilities, and accordingly only a very small percentage of the new roads recommended to be brought within the scope of the board’s operations are to be accepted.