THE HIGHWAYS BILL.

Shannon News, 21 October 1921, Page 1

THE HIGHWAYS BILL.

SUPPORTED BY CHAMBER OF | COMMERCE. At Monday night’s meeting of the Levin Chamber of Commerce Mr A. C. Holms moved the following remit dealing with reading and it will be forwarded to the N.Z. Conference for discussion: “.That the Chambers 1 assure the Government of support in the attempt being made per xnedium of proposals contained in the National Highways Bill to co-ordinate efforts toward the construction and maintenance of arterial roadways on up-to-date and economical basis. It is recommended however that a due measure of assistance be affordedt town districts, boroughs and cities concerned, on a varying percentage basi6, as well-as county areas already provided for, such bodies together with the Government and motor tax-payers, to be fairly represented on the controlling board.” Mr Holms said while this might be; thought hardly a matter for a, Chamber of Commerce, he contended that good roads made for prosperity. Good roads alongside the railways might save the expense of additional railways in the 'future. The Counties Association had turned down the Minister’s proposals, but he did not think they were unanimous, the Dannevirke and Wairoa Counties at Teast having decided in favour of the 'schepie. The Mayor, Mr Matheson, hoped the Chamber and the Conference would have no hesitation in supporting the remit; The Master who was responsible for the Highways Bill certainly dgerved some backing. It was ' parochial interests that were raising the objections to the Bill. The proposals should at least be given a, fair run. The President said the Bill seemed to be on© of the finest schemes that had yet been.| brought forward in this country. The remit was carried unanimously. A DEFENDER OF ROAD BOARDS. (To the Editor.) v Sir,—-In your report of the last meeting of the Horowhenua County Counj 'cil, you credit the. Chairman with reporting to his Council that the Highj ways Bill had a bad reception at the I hands of the delegates to the late; Counties Conference, (held in Wellington recently. The Chairman made no • statement as to, the demerits of the Bill, beyond saying that, if it came into force, it would lower the status of the County .Councils—to use his own words —to veritable road boards.; I am afraid that it is this loss of status that determined the attitude of the Conference against the measure, more than any defects that the Bill may have. If it is better to have a local body of high statutory standing than to have good roads, then I must confess to living a long way behind the times. I should have thought that the various County Councils would have jumped at the chance of putting on the Government the responsibility of doing what the Councils are unable to do themselves. It looks like, a case of: “We can’t, you shan’t.’,’ This question of a good main road is of such vast importance that I trust the attitude of the Conference will not be generally endorsed. . Might I point out, sir, that it is the way the duties of a local body are carried out that go to raise or lower its importance, not the varied character of its activities, which may be only indifferently executed. The chairman, in his reference to road boards, hardly did them justice, because a little reflection would have shown him that they were the pioneers who did/the spade work in the early days of settlement, and laid the foundations of what we have to-day. The duties of a warden were much more exacting than those of a councillor, and called for much more horse-sense and sacrifice of time, as they had no engineer to take any responsibility off them; neither did they have any ghinea a day 'as any solatium for the odium of the ratepayers. When we see that many of the County Councils of today are composed of men who were formerly wardens of “veritable road boards,” it is difficult to see where the added importance of being a councillor comes in.—l am, etc., » ratepayer. Shannon.