THE MAIN HIGHWAYS.
NATION ALISA TION URGED
The nationalising of main highways as a means of ending the present disputes over their reconstruction and maintenance appeals to country business men, judging from a discussion by the Auckland Provincial Confei-enlee of Chambers of' Commerce on Thursday which adopted a motion recommending it. Mr. A. Willis (Papakura) moved: “That all main arterial roads be ■ taken by the Main Highways Board and wholly constructed and maintained out of the main highways fund.” The mover said country ratepayers strongly objected to raising large loans under the subsidy system to improve main highways chiefly for the benefit of outside traffic. Mr. H. W!. Atkinson (Otoro) hanga) said formerly a good shingle road ran from end to end of his district. Through outside traffic this had deteriorated very greatly. The Main Highways Board had been asked for a maintenance subsidy of £3 for £1 and had refused it. Mr. B. C. Taylor (Matamata) remarked that Matamata County, after raising about £200,000 for main highway improvements, bad decided to stop, because its subsidiary roads were suffering. 'The cities and larger towns had taken advantage of the Main Highways Act to obtain subsidies, but the smaller towns and counties had been placed at a serious disadvantage. Mr. F. H. Clapham (Hamilton) suggested that the remit be amended to read: “That all gazetted main roads be nationalised and
handed over to the Main Highways Board.” He said all motorists were tired of the squabbles between local bodies and the board over subsidies and the consequent delays in improvement work. A delegate remarked that if the whole responsibility for main roads was thrown on to the Main Highways Board the Public Works fund was certain to shrink and grants to subsidiary roads would suffer. Eventually the following amendment, suggested by Mr. E. Green (Oneimnga), was carried with one or two dissentients: “That the present system of constructing main highways is unsatisfactory and that iii the opinion of this conference all main arterial trunk roads should be nationalised and controlled by the Main Highways Board.”
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Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3971, 16 July 1929, Page 3
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344THE MAIN HIGHWAYS. Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3971, 16 July 1929, Page 3
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