COUNTY CONFERENCE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5301, 18 July 1928, Page 2

COUNTY CONFERENCE.

HIGHWAYS DISCUSSED. IMPROVEMENT IN LEGISLATION. In his address to the annual conference of the N.Z. Counties’ Association, which opened at Wellington yesterday, Mr A. E. J nil dealt p.t length with the increased resources of the Main Highways! Board as the result of the petrol tax, and th© policy being adopted. He also referred to the manner in which the towns were recognising the advantages accruijig to them from road improvetaents, and mentioned that help was being extended to counties by Wanganui, Nelson, and Rotorua. Mr Jull criticised the method of of the income from heavy traffic fees, and suggested that the conference- set up a committee to act witli some of the executive in going nto the matter. He also suggested that a committ.ee' be set up to consider what alterations might be advantageously made in the functions of the district highways councils; so that greater use might be got from them in highway administration. LEGISLATION NOT PERFECT.

Addressing the conference, the; Hon. A. D. McLCod, Minister of Lands, said he knew that, the 'highways) legislation of last year had not; given satisfaction, and it would not do so for some time. It was realised that the legislation had many weaknesses, but a start, had been made; and the highways legislation was; functioning in a manner satisfactory to tfi'e great bulk of the people. Perhaps one thing that was, doing most to cause dissatisfaction with the highways legislation, was that of the riding accounts. The time would come when they would be done away with. AMALGAMATION OF COUNTIES. Referring to the proposal that smaller counties should amalgamate, the Minister said that this was a thing that could not. be forced. Town planning did not affect the. counties to any extent, but advantage should bq taken, in view of the extension of population,, of the services of the towiii-plannnig director in regard to roads likely to be affected. Speak’ng as Minister of Ltyids, he sa'd the. Dominion, required a great deal more subdivision, of la,nd, but to call for chain-wide roads in all land, eSpec'ally in land worth £lOO an acre, was not in tlie beSjt interests of the country. County councils could be s .fely trusted with the legislation giving them discretionary power.

When the question of amending the Counties Act, so that no alteration of county boundaries might be made except at stipulated intervals, came up for. discussion, Mr Jull pointed out that the Government; had extended the powers of the commission which at present was inquiring into the grading, of smaller urban areas, and ,to take action which, might be anticipating tlie report of the commission was not advisable.