THE HIGHWAYS SUBSIDY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3986, 20 August 1929, Page 4

THE HIGHWAYS SUBSIDY.

HOROWHENUA COUNTY DISCUSSION. STATEMENT by county CHAIRMAN. Various aspects of the Highways system were before the Horowhenua County (Council at its last meeting, chief among which was the decision of the Government to withhold this year the usual annual allocation of £200,000 by way of grant towards the iroads of the Dominion, A review of the situation by the County Chairman (Mr. G. A. Monk) contained an optimistic note with respect to the programme of work for the Horowhenua County, the part remaining in doubt being the further construction of the Levin-Foxton Road after the three miles now in hand are completed. WITHDtRAiWiAIL OF YEAR’S GRANT. The chairman stated that the Highways Act made provision of £200,000 annual contributions to the Board for expenditure on Main Highways in lieu of what the Public Works Department had been doing before the Act came into force. Every year the Department had been spending a certain amount on the highways; after that the Board took them over, and the Government contributed £200,000 per annum. In addition a loan of £3,000,000, to be raised in portions, was provided for; something over half that amount had so far been raised. This year, when provision was asked from the Finance Minister, he intimated that he did not propose to cut down the amount of loan money, but he said that the Board could not have the annual £200,000 from the Public Works fund, which came from the Consolidated Fund. That was where the .pinch came in. Any money which the Board had to spend this year was loan money, on which it would have to pay interest and sinking fund. The feeling of the Counties Association was that it was a definite breach. The Auomobile Associations had waited on the Minister, and they said the same. Up to the present the Minister had not given way. The capital expenditure was cut down from £700,000 to £500,000, and it was loan- money instead of a grant. DISTRICT COUNCIL DOES SOME PRUNING. A f t the last meeting of the District Council (the chairman continued), seeing that there were definite applications for 1 ' £130,000 for highways in this district and that tiiere was only £55,000 to meet the expenditure, it was decided to send a deputation to the chairman of the Board. In the meantime the executive of the District Council met in Wellington and spent several hours on the estimates, and, with the most extreme pruning, it reduced them to £97,000, all of which represented liabilities on work to go on. The members of the executive met the chairman of the Board (Mir. Furkert) and pointed out that, despite the allocation, it was impossible for them to cut the estimates down any further.

As far as this district was concerned, the chairman thought that Mr. Furkert realised that the works were to go on. They were to proceed with the exception of the section between 'Shannon and Buckley —but he learnt recently that the Council was likely to get the authority to go on with that. •DIFFICULTIES OF LEVINFOXTON ROUTE. The chairman added that he had pointed out to Mr. Furkert that the Levin-Foxton portion of No. 1 Higlfway had been closed for three weeks to motor traffic; and that this was the second period during which it had been closed in the present year. Mr. Furkert was apparently somewhat astounded, and said that No. 60 (Palmerston via Shannon) was more urgent than No. I. THREE MILES OF PAVING ASSURED.

The chairman went on to say that, for six weeks in this year, motorists had not been able to travel over the Foxton route and the traffic had had to go by way of Shannon to Palmerston or 'Shannon to Foxton. In the meantime the Council were pushing on with No. .1 Highway. Whatever was done, they were sure of one thing, and that was the completion of the roads and bridges between Levin and Ota'ki. On the Foxton route three miles of formation had been done, which would be sealed this year. Work in doubt was a further two miles of formation and paving on that road. Sir Joseph Ward said there was a deficit and that the Highways Board must do its share towards making it up. This Government was not responsible for the Highways Act. Here is a local body that -has entered into obligations of £IOO,OOO. Can a, few men coming into Parliament say, “Never mind about the Horowhenua and Hutt lOounties entering into these obligations—five don’t approve of it?” That should not be. The council and the Board and the motoring public are satisfied that it is essential. Should they, at the whim of politicians, have to shut down? I say definitely, No. I hope we will have the full backing of the motoring public who are paying the piper, and I hope they will use every endeavour to see that we are able to carry out the undertaking that we have in hand to-day. The Highways Board is not to blame in this particular instance. WHLROKINO FLOOD PROBLEM. Ci*. Barber called attention to the agitation by the Foxton Chamber oil Commerce- to 'have the portion of the Whirokino Highway in the Manawatu County raised above

flood level. It had been suggested he said, that they should get spoil from the Horowhenua County. Would that have any bearing on No. 1 Highway? The chairman: We have nothing official before its, and I don’t know what bearing it might have. Chambers of Commerce make all sorts of -suggestions. 'C'r. Gimblett: If an owner sold them a sandhill, we could not stop them. The chairman: They thought they could make a deviation on our road and use the spoil for the other one. C.r Gimblett: They would have a good distance to cart it. I would not like to spend a lot of money cn plans and surveys on the old road if we can go on the new one.