ROADING OPERATIONS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5494, 30 October 1929, Page 3

ROADING OPERATIONS.

i o PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. In his Public Works Statement in the House last week the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. E. A. Ransom, said with Reference to roads :— “The reading operations of the Department, particularly the provision of communication facilities for the people in the backblocks, as previously stated, has been one of my closest studies. The ultimate goal to which I aspire is that of providing every landowner with such access as will enable him to transport his produce from the farm to the seaboard with celerity and economy at all times in the year, and which will furnish him and his household the convenience of easy access to their ordinary markets and to their fellow-citizens of the Dominion. The graph contained in this Statement shows that the steady increase in the cost of roading which has been manifest in the ten years prior to my taking office is still maintained. The ever-increasing number of motor-vehicles using the roads precludes the possibility of any decrease in roading expenditure if the present high standard is to be mainf tained. Honourable members are perhaps aware, but there will be no harm in repeating the fact, that, when considered in the proportion to the population and the number of motorvehicles, New Zealand is in the forefront amongst nations in its mileage of roads available for traffic in all states of weather—in other words, high-surfaced roads. “In preparing the the public-works roads estimates for this financial year I have amended to some extent the system of allocation of the roads vote to the different districts which has been in use for some years past. A careful review of the operation of this system indicated quite conclusively that it was not applying as equitably as could be wished, and it was quite apparent that while some districts were receiving unduly liberal treatment others were being penalised. The governing factor responsible for this position appeared to be that known as ‘paper roads.’ A perusal of any standard county lithograph will show the great number Lof legalised but unformed roads, a great many of which there will be no necessity to construct for many years. Under the old system of allocation of funds these were all taken into consideration in allotting the roads vote, and the greater the mileage of unformed roads the greater the amount of> money the district would receive, even though perhaps many of the roads would never be formed. This appeared to be hardly reasonable or fair, and the incidence of this factor to a great extent appeared to upset the balance of the other factors. I therefore amended the system in this respect and took into consideration only those legal unformed roads which a careful review indicated might be expected in the course of development to receive attention in the next few years. Other amendments to the autou matic system o f a more or less minor " nature have also been made, and, although a certain amount of criticism has been received as a result of the alterations from those districts whose allocations have been reduced it is felt that so far as the whole Dominion is concerned the system will now operate in a much more equitable manner than formerly, and. those districts most in need of development will get the assistance from the roads vote to . which, when all factors are considered, they are justly entitled. “The Main Highways Board has continued the excellent v/ork which it has done in the past, and I found that it enjoys the confidence of the local bodies with whom it is in such close touch, and that the local authorities and motorists generally are not stinting in their appreciation of the great improvement that has taken place in the roading of New Zealand since 11 the Highways Board was constituted. “During the year the main-high-ways system was extended to include 3753 miles of secondary highway, while the general maintenance subsidy for the whole system, which now 10,403 miles of main highway, was increased from £1 10s for £1 to £2 for £l. The board’s report shows, mainly in consequence of the increase in the rate of maintenance subsidy, local authorities were able to considerably reduce the amount which they paid towards the cost of maintenance of the primary highway sys- . tern. The amount of this reduction, •‘however, does not approach the 1 amount of the increase in localauthority rates which has taken place during the last few years. Between 1924-25 and 1927-28 the rural rates increased by £178,000 per annum, and a large percentage of this increase was accounted for by the additional expenditure which local authorities had to face in the maintenance of primary highways. “Since I assumed office numerous k local authorities have made represen- ‘ tations to me for payment towards the cost of construction of roads put | down in what are generally referred to as ‘permanent materials,’ and towards the cost of which the local authorities concerned did not receive f a subsidy, or received a subsidy which fein their opinion was insufficient in J comparison with the subsidies which are now being paid. The matter is one to which I have given a good deal of consideration, as I fully appreciate the local authority point of view. I have, however, been forced to the conclusion that the finances which are available for road construction and maintenance purposes will not permit of such payments being made. The finances which are at present available are such as will meet present and future requirements only, and if retrospective subsidies in any form were to be paid, either direct payment to local authorities as an annual grant towards the of interest and sinking-fund ' charges, it would be necessary to i'"’4jither increase taxation or reduce the present rate of subsidies, and I cannot recommend the adoption of either such courses.”