LOCAL BODIES RESPONSIBILITIES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 510, 19 October 1912, Page 5

LOCAL BODIES RESPONSIBILITIES.

MAINTENANCE OF ROADS. The Public Works Statement, draws attention to the responsibilities of County Councils as follows: — I "My predecessors have had occasion to draw attention to the unwillingness of some local bodies to accept their proper responsibilities in regard to maintenace work. I have again to emphasise the matter. The law provides that all roads in a county are county roads unless specially declared by Order in Council to be Government roads, and the duty of maintaining such county roads unquestionably devolves upon the local governing body. Local bodies in some cases plead that they are finanacially unable to undertake the work, but in such cases it is usually found that they are not levying the full amount of rates which the law allows. The neglect of local bodies in this matter and the exceptionally wet season necessitated the expenditure out of the Consolidated Fund vote for maintenance of £37,449 during last financial year, and during the four months of the current year ended the 31st July last a further sum of £17,290 was authorised. A considerable proportion of the expenditure la3t year and of that authorised this year represented work which should have been provided for by the local authorities."