GOOD ROADS ESSENTIAL

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2618, 11 August 1923, Page 3

GOOD ROADS ESSENTIAL

PREMIER AND COUNTIES’. DEPUTATION.

Wellington,. Last Night

A deputation from the Counties’ .Conference waited on the Prime Minister, Mr A, E. Jull was spokesman, and in his address he covered the main decisions arrived at by the recent gathering. 5 In replying, Mr Massey said regarding legislation dealing with roads, the matter of finance v 7 as a considerable item. However one thing that had to be done in this country was to provide for motor traffic. It was all very well to talk about the effects of this on the railways, but New Zealand must have up-to-date means of transport and communication. If we did not have good roads, we would fall behind other countries. He thought the arterial roads should he attended to in the first place. There was the question of a loan, and he wanted to say that, as Prime Minister, he had various difficulties to meet. He was exercising great care in the matter of expenditure, for vai*ious reasons. Mr Massey said the question was one of the Highways Board getting money. If enough could be got out of a tyre tax, well and good. Then there would be trouble if an attempt was made to get money out of motor ears. Tf money could be got out of mineral oils by way of drawbacks, as had been suggested, that might be satisfactory, but there would be certain people respecting whom there would be difficulties.

Mr Massey said that while he was way in England, where he understood there was something of the sorf in operation, he would take the opportunity of looking into matters concerning the collection of such a fax.