ROADS AND BRIDGES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 697, 24 November 1933, Page 6

ROADS AND BRIDGES

MINISTER THINKS INCREAS.ED YOTE IS FULLY JUSTIFIED HELPJNG THE BACKBLOGKS Wiellington, Thursday. In the course of the Public Works statement presented to the House of Representatives on Thursday evening by the Hon. J. Bitchener, reference was made to the construction of roads and bridges and he expressed the opinion that an increased appropriation for thds work was justified. "Last year," he said, "the vote had to be curtailed considerably, and the completion of many roads necessary to settlers could not be undertaken; but,, notwithstanding this, the Public Works Department, assisted by the Unemployment Board, had more men engaged on metalling of settlement roads than in any other period of its existence. This year the Unemployment Board is again giving assistance to the Public Wlorks Department towards the labour costs in metalling roads to back block settlers, and I am dodng all I can to provide money for metal and. other materials for this purpose. Every proposal is well investigated before the work is start,ed, and I am quite satisfied that such work provides one of the most fruitful retruns we can obtain from the expenditure of loan money. Need of Settlers

"Dui-mg visits of mspection, particularly in parts of the North Island, I have been impressed with the number of settlers, many of whom have been established for considerable periods, who are dependent on unmetalled'rotads for access to their holdings. The difficulity of carrying on farming operations with indifferent access needs no mention, and it is my desire to continue the policy of my predecessor by assisting such isolated and established settlers as much as possible, Even. a thin coating of metal of 9ft or 10ft width would alford coniderable relief, and on those side roads which serve perhaps only two or three settlers, and where traffic is light, such relief could hy this means he given at a considerably lower cost than would be occasioned by the construction of the full-width metalled road of standard depth, and available roading funds thug be made to go much further than at present. Every effort will be made in this direction, but full regard must be igiven to the general circumstances of the road and extent and weight of traffic likely to use it. Main JRoad "On main highways it was not practicable to spend more than £159,323 on construction., ,a.nd this was financed mainly by a transfer of £100,000 from the Revenue Fund. This year it is proposed to provide a sum of £260,000. On account of the advanced state of deterioration of a great many bridges on main highways the Main Highways Board desires to carry out, a more energetic programme of hridge renewals. The safety of the travelling public is more important than the improvement of existing highways, and the igreater portion of the finance provided for construction of main highways will, therefore, be spent on hridge erection.