MAIN ROAD CONSTRUCTION.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 7, Issue 392, 16 July 1918, Page 3

MAIN ROAD CONSTRUCTION.

COMBINED ACTION URGED. Tuesday's meeting of the Waipa County Council the supervisor, Mr. W. H. Mandeno, submitted the following report on the question of good roads:—

In view of changes taking place, and more especially of those likely to take place, in the character of the traffic on county roads, it ha? occurred to me that this is a matter requiring careful consideration by the Council. The advent and rapid growth of motor traffic of various kinds, especially that of heavy lorries, is bringing about a condition of affairs altogether different to what has obtained in the past, and the time is near when it will be neither possible nor equitable to constmct and maintain roads solely out of local taxation. Unlike what has been the case previously, county roads now have to carry not only their own local traffic, but also a large amount of what may be called "through" traffic from other districts. Further, the volume of traffic is greatly increased. owing not only to increased population, but also to the fact that people travel so much more both for business and pleasure than they did formerly. Instances could be shown upon our own roads where the expenditure of several hundreds of pounds during the last summer has been practically thrown away owing to excessive motor traffic, combined with constant, wet weather. The plain inference is that, more substantial and permanent methods must be adopted in order to cope with the traffic, and in mv judgment no ordinary macadamised road will stand under the traffic of the future. Roads will have to be constructed of some conglomerate material, though what it is to be need not be discussed just now. The first question is the financial one—where is the money to come from? It seems to me that it is useless for any single local body to attempt to tackle the question alone and unassisted. Pressure must be brought to bear upon the Government to force them to move, and this can only be done through a bier combination of local bodies working through their Parliamentary representatives. I suggest that an attempt should be made to bring about such a combination and united action, with a view to getting the Government to tackle the question and deal with the whole question in a comprehensive way. The lines of the scheme I would like to see adopted would be a near approach to the Victorian system, whereby the Government would raise a large loan for the express purpose of lending to rural bodies for the construction of their main roads, such loans to carnautomaticallv a £ for £ subsidy from the consolidated revenue; the works

to be carried out by the local bodies

themselves, subject, of course, to the of the Public Works Department. The present system of lending money to local bodies in small sums has, no doubt, served a very useful purpose in the past, but it is wasteful and useless now when road.must be laid down in some permanent material that will stand pre-sent-day wear and tear. To expect local ratepayers to find the whole of the money for the construction of main mads which, under present-day conditions, are often called upon to

carry more outside than local traffic, would be utterly unreasonable. Hence

the proposal that half the money for such roads should be* provided out of

the consolidated revenue. A proposal has I>con made, and pretty generally supported hv local bodies, that the Government should take over the main roads: but in my humble opinion such action would only make bad worse. One lias only to see to what perfection "Government stroke" is carried in s■•■me departments already exist hit:, or to travel through districts where the roads are already under Government control, and no sensible man will wish to bring another big department into existence to bo similarly managed. If it is supposed that the Government taking over the main roads necessarily means- the Government finding the money to construct them. I fear such anticipation is altogether too optimistic. Sikh generosity is altogether absent in the case of departments already existing, as any local body which has had dealings with tin' Railway Department has had ample proof. I further claim that local bodies obtain far and away hotter results for their expenditure than i- obtained under Government super- \ isi. n* a statement which. I think will hardly he disputed. Of eour-<\ th - foregoing i> only a general statement of the position: many detailwill re.|uire to be arranged, but it ni.p. :i i~ to mo that the sootier 'lie ■i' ie - - tioi> is discussed in its larger a-p<a -■ ♦he s'oner will something t:111 *_• i 1• 1 • result.

Tie- report met with general accept ance. various councillors expn--in-die opinion that the time had arrived when the roading problem would havi to be dealt with in a methodical and comprehensive manner. The position i- fast becoming acute.

It was decided to defer the consideration of the report until next mooting, when it will he fully discussed.