THE HIGHWAYS SYSTEM.

Shannon News, 20 July 1928, Page 4

THE HIGHWAYS SYSTEM.

HOROWHENUA COUNTY'S PIONEERING DIFFICULTIES.

MEASV&ES TO feEBJEDY OVER-

EXPENDITURE.

JNCREASED SUBSIDY AWAITED

FROM BOARD

As announced on Monday, the Horo- j whenua County .Council, at their monthly meeting on Saturday; took further steps in the direction of obtaining relief from the burden of excess expenditure on Main Highways construction. One such step was the passing of .a resolution, to deelare the highways as main "or county roads, the result ,6-f which will be to place the responsibility for expenditure on the general fund,, thus enabling the ridings to pay accord- j ing to their valuation for the construe- i tion of the portions of highway in their | ' ■ own areas, instead of bearing the cost i unconditionally. An amendment was unsuccessfully moved to defer such aetiqn -and hold over the public works estimates until <a favourable reply is re-. .eeived from the Highways Board to the Council's request for money to complete the 'highways scheme. It was also resolved on- the motion of Cr. Jensen, 1o send a deputation to the Minister of'Public Works to consider tho application of the petrol tax and the working of the Highways Act. At a special meeting'of the Council, held a fortnight previously, the chairman'(Mr G. A. Monk) and Crs. Whyte ,and Catley were appointed to visit "Wellington and place before the authorities the necessity for expediting an agreement between the Council and the Highways Board in regard to further work on the highways, the position being that application had ben made to the Board for increased subsidy to ensure thi completion of the work, which js at present suspended. ALLOCATION OF COUNTY DEBT. In accordance with a resolution passed at the special, meeting, the Council went into special meeting again on Saturday, this time) to consider a motion to declare -Main Highways within the county main of county roads within the provisions" of the Public Work? Act. The motion was in the tfowa of <& special .order as, follows, moved by Cr.: Ryder.and seconded by Qf. Bryant':— ' That in exercise of the powei's conferred, on ,it by Section 131 of the Counties Act, 1920, and in particular .subjection v O) theieof and all other powers thereunto enabling it, the Horowhenua County Council hereby resolves by way of Especial order as follows: — That the roads in the schedule hereto be declared main roads: — Wellington-Auck.Und Main High•way via Taranaki. ■Le-vinrPalmerpton North Main .Highways, via Shannon. Foxton-Shannon Main Highway, i •.Since the last meeting a letter had been reecived from the District Engineer (Mr Ronayne), relative to the application for an increased subsidy, asking for further information. The new.estimate of £264,000 for the who}e : gftheiae was so much in excess of the original estimate of £148,000 that the whole- scheme-should be thoroughly reviewed. And properly considered detailed estimate to complete should be submitted. ,It might be advisable to coneider the curtailment of a portion ; of the seheme of the North Road via Foxton, which was not so important as the other works, particularly in view of the possibility of a new routa for this Main Highway should the Manawatu-Oroua river scheme be embarked upon. REPORT OF DEPUTATION. The Chairman reported that an estimate had now been submitted to the representatives of the Board which they had • accepted. It was slightly less than the £264,000 previously notified, to the Board, having been reduc-ed-by £20,000. It was expected that the matter would come before the Board for decision on July 19th. From the point of view of the Council and tike district in general,- as well as the • men who were out of work, it was highly desirable that the Council should get a favourable reply, so that they could immediately proceed with some ■work and give relief. In the meantime they could do nothing more. AMENDMENT TO DEFER ACTION. As an amendment to the motion de- ; daring the ma'» roads, Cr. Kilsby moved and Cr. McLeavey seconded that the passing of the public works estimates and the declaring of the Main. Highways as County roads be, deferred until a favourable answer is received from the Highways Board to the Council 'a request for money to complete the Highways scheme. Cr. Kilsby said that in* the Wirokino riding the ratepayers would be rather hard done by if the Council struck the rate to cover the costs of over-expen-diture in -other ridings. He did not ■see why the rate should be struck urSafcly -when, in a week or two, the uneil might receive a favourable re-' jfly from the Board, which reply would, aeaist them to know how they were go-" ing to act in the This would sot be the first time that - the rates had t«wn struck so late. Councillors knew the difficulties in which the other ridings were placed, and'he thought that by deferring action the Council would, be doing the right thing. Until a reply was reeeived he failed to see that the .Council were able to carry pu, and strike the rate as they wouldt The jratepayers had voted on ■W»y« :proposal with the understanding 4&#t each riding had to b, ear its share f fit the burden. If the roads were de- , ftl&red now and extra money had to be ;fttu.nd both from the rating point of .vjesrr and by way of petroj tax, it was fe%rdly a f&ir proposition to ask the ftiepayers tp find any more.money. Cr. McLeavey said he ..had .seconded tbe amendment beeause he thought the e&njteU should know what the Board

was going ; to dp in connection with the over-expenditure on the highways. Seeing that the date of the Board's meeting was not far off, he thought that the Council could very well wait and see what the Board would do. Cr. Catley supported the amendment, and stated that the Council must take some drastic steps to force the position with the Board. . TE HORO DISABILITY.

Cr. Jensen said that unfortunately I the people whom he represented (those ■ of the Te Horo riding) seemed to be j the people who were going to be the hardest hit. There was no question that the highways were going to.be an enormous burden to some of the ratepayers in some of the counties. He felt sure that it was not the meaning of the Act, when it was passed, that there was going to be a further burden put on the ratepayers; on the contrary, he thought it was meant to lessen their burden. Since then various alterations had ,been made, for which the ratepayers had to pay; and he felt that if the position had been made as clear when the Couneil took the poll as.it was today, they would never have started the highways. He had gone to some; little trouble over this matter. He had not been aware that the Chairman had been able to meet the Board, but he (Cn. Jensen) had taken the opportunity as a ratepayer to meet the Minister, and he felt sure that it was the Minister whom the Chairman ought to meet, with a view to having the Act amended, because it was not right to ■■ expect any further bubrdens to be cast on the ratepayers before the Couneil knew where it stood. They never knew what measures the Government might' bring down to build the highways; nor were they sure that there was not going ,to be a further burden in the way of a ■petrol'tax. A good many people were of opinion that the, tax would 6d.T>er gallon instead of 4d as at present. As far as the Te Horo riding, was concerned, the increase in the highway cost, even if the Council secured . redress from the Board, would be considerable. A new valuation of the . county be expected. He 'understood that .certain' consideration had been given to the flaxgrowers, en- ! abling them to pay a lower rate tha,n hitherto, and this would re-act on the j other ratepayers, because someone would have to bear the burden. On that account also he would suggest that the Chairman interview the Minister before the striking of the rate. I He would like to see the whole <of the money found by the Government out Of a motor tax or some other form of taxation that would relieve the county ratepayers, because the district roads and the by-roads would cost more to maintain owing to the motor traffic nowadays, and the burden would be quite sufficient for the ratepayers to face without having to make roads. Let the Government take over the whole of the taxation and find the interest ,which the local bodies had to pay. It was unfortunate that he was compelled to speak in this, strain. He recognised that it was rather late in the day, but they had never had the opportunity before. He felt sure it was never the intention of the Government to put further burdens on the farmers; that they should bear all the heavy construction costs and then pay as" users of the. roads. If the Government had undertaken the whole scheme and completed the highways, there would not have been any trouble and it would have been fair, to everyone in New Zealand. He moved that ,a committee be appointed to meet the Minister and put the position fully before him as affecting this Council. "The benefit we are going to get from the benzine tax is worth very little to us," he' added. *• * CLERK'S OPINION SOUGHT.

Cr. Bryant said he would like to hear the County Clerk's opinion on the subject. Cr. Ryder said he would also like to hear the clerk's view. "If we complete this scheme," he remarked, "we are all going to be handicapped as ratepayers more than we anticipated. Owing to the position that has arisen, there is an increased rate staring us in the face. I take the extreme view as regards the) Government doing the work. The Government are ourselves. They don't make a success of what they have in hand. If we are going to lean on the Government to do everything,! then I say in the near future God help us. We must be up and doing ourselves.

The chairman said he had made it quite clear and he thought that those who discussed the matter with the Board the other day would be quite satisfied, that the Board would deal with the highway as one road and not under the riding system. That was not to say that the subsidy would be given over the whole work or that it would have to Jbe treated as applying to work to be done in the future. If the Couneil were contending that the cost to the ratepayer was not to be more than the authority given, then a greatly increased subsidy must be given on the remaining portion of the work, to complete it. If that work would cost a great deal more than was estimated, was that any good reason why those ridings should receive the whole benefit of that subsidy while the ridings that had completed their sections should have a lesser subsidy? Cr. Ryder: No. SAVINGS TO NORTH RIDINGS. The chairman, continuing, stated that not pile, member of the Council would sugg^t v that that was a sound basis. The, arguinent had been used that the declaring of main roads and completing the roads for the amount authorised would place an increased burden on the Wirokino riding. He was somewhat astonished that that argument, should be advanced, in the face of figures which had been prepared by the office staff, working for some months, •and placed at the disposal of councillors. The position was just the opposite;. Tho very riding that would benefit ultimately, if the scheme was finished for the amount authorised, was the Wirokino riding. If it was done

on the, present seheme it was going to cost £2619 per annum. If the roads were declared main roads and the interest and sinking fund was paid over the whole county, together with £25 per mile per annum for maintenance, it would be £2552, so the. riding was gding to save,£67 per annum. Tokomaru would save nearly £2OO. Otaki i would have an 'increase of just on £IOO, and Te Horo an increase of a like amount. Ultimately the job must | be finished —there was no doubt about that. He had been one of those who had believed, that each riding should bear its own/burden; but before taking the poll the Couneil should have declared the roads main highways. The present proposal was quite opposed to what he had submitted to the ■ payers, but circumstances had altered j cases. If the Board would offer to meet the deficiency on each riding, then his riding (Te Horo) would save £2OO, but he did not think that the Board would deal with the matter on that basis. THE PETROL TAX. Regarding Cr. Jensen's point that the Council should ask the Government to bring down legislation to make the application and distribution of the petrol tax more equitable, the chairman stated that in November last, when the Bill to impose the tax was coming before the House, he took the matter up with the-members of Parliament representing the districts coming into this county, and pointed out that if the Bill were passed the application of the tax would be of no avail in this district, as he then considered-that the Council had no subsidiary roads which .they could declare subsidiary highways, which would receive contributions from this tax towards their maintenance. However, some 14 miles had been declared subsidiary highways; and on going through the County estimates he found that the contribution from the tax did not reduce the expenditure on those roads, because the Council had left the original amounts on, and the extra money—£2oo or £3oo—to be received from the Board would be applied, probably, to giving those roads a better surface than: before, to keep them 'Up to the standard required by the Board. •'■ There, was a benefit, however. To-day the Board paid 30s for £1 for maintenance of highways, and the petrol tax had stabilised the payment of. that .subsidy, which might otherwise have had to be reduced. THE MAINTENANCE SUBSIDY. The chairman went on to say that, , when the poll- was taken, the subsidy for maintenance was 6s 8d for £l. This had been increased to 30s for £l. The' actual cost to the Council, if they had not widened or paved any portion of the Main Highway —estimating the average cost of maintenance at £225 per mile per annum and bearing in 1 mind that the Board were now paying a 30s maintenance be some £2OOO less than what it would be with a paved road, this position being due to the fact that the maintenance subsidy had been increased. The Couneil had already spent a good deal of the money, and there was no chance of getting it back. The Board would be quite justified in finding the balance of the money to complete the seheme., He was not going to suggest that the gravel road maintained at £225 per mile per annum was equal today to the road that was paved. They knew that the value of traffic and the speed at which it travelled became positively dangerous. There was a need for the roads to be ccompleted as early as possible. The continual deferring of the striking of the rate would not be of any advantage to the office, nor to the Council, because he was certain that whatever the Board were going to do would be on a*highway basis in relation to the whore county and not to the ridings. If the County Clerk thought that the matter could be deferred for a. fortnight or a month, he (the speaker) was not going to offer any objection. COUNTY CLERK'S EXPLANATION. The County Clerk stated that he was having some difficulty in advising people as to the position of the rates that would be due from them this year. There were people whose properties were changing hands, and purchasers desired to know what rates had to be paid. As far as he could see, therewas nothing that could be immediately gained by deferring the matter. The County was pledged to find interest on the loan; and to defer the passing of the estimates would not alter the position in that respect. Any extra money that the Board might provide would only affect the completing of the scheme. It was quite evident that, whatever happened, the Council ought to use the balance of the loan money in hand for completing to the stage where the maintenance would be reduced on such section as were not completed at present. This would reduce the annual amount that the Council had to pay on the maintenance of the roads. Cr. Catley said he was concerned over the fact that there were ratepayers who had to pay >their share to the Levin-Wirokino Bridge section, who were assured that they were going to get a road. The Council should not declare this a main highway until they had a satisfactory answer from the Board. He would be in favour of stopping every penny of expenditure on the highways until that was reeeived. MINISTER WOULD HEAR REPRE SENTATIONS, Cr. Jensen stated that the Minister would be quite prepared to meet a deputation from the Council. The Chairman: I am quite prepared to go if I have something concrete to go with. Cr. Jensen: We have something concrete here. We are prepared and in a position to say that the ratepayers are asked to pay more for the main roads. I appeal to you, on behalf of the ratepayers, to assist me to lessen , their burden. The Chairman: I am quite willing to go to the Minister. I represented this thing to our members in the House and went with them and placed it before the Minister last session, and I am

quite prepared to go back; but what you are faced with now is your immediate financial interests. It is interest that you have to find; we have to strike a rate. An amendment has been moved to defer action until we receive a reply from the Bqard. How is that going to affect the position? It has been said that it is going to cost the Wirokino riding more moneyj but when the job is completed, Wirokino will be better off than the other ridings. Suppose that the Board, do not give more money.

O. Kilsby: If they don't come to light, we leave .our main highways as riding highways. Cr. Catley: We have to face more expenditure, and this •'rifling has to bear its share of that without having one inch more of road. The Chairman: Don't think you are paving more interest and sinking fund with no more work done and without getting any more benefit,. If that were the case my riding would not go up £2OO on the estimate. The reason we go up i s that we take our share of the maintenance of those gravel roads that are not yet formed. Te Horo has £2O a mile for maintenance. You have on vour estimates £BO, say. We take our share of that as against your taking a share of our interest. Down there everything in the garden is not lovely; it looks mighty black. If we agree to this declaration of main roads, w.e have given ourselves £2OO more to pay than wa s estimated in the first place. x Cr. Jensen said he would rather welcome it if the Council would take the responsibility of putting the whole burden on Te Horo. The position would then come to the breaking-point and they would get redress. He would not be a party to such a course, however. He would not agree to doing anything in the matter at this meeting."

The Chairman: You have to strike a rate. .If I could see any advantage by not striking it to-day, I would say, defer it; but there will be no advantage. Cr. Kilsby: It was your suggestion to defer it from last meeting. The Chairman: No, it was not my suggestion: I gave way last; time. Ci?. Ryder said that the County Clerk had given his. advice very clearly and had shown no reason why the Council should defer striking »the rate. He thought that the Clerk was impartial and had an open and free mind, and that he had not considered one riding against another. A NECESSARY LINK.

The chairman said he realised that, whatever was done as far as the county wa s concerned, it was absolutely essential that the main highways be completed. They were a link in_ a scheme, and that link must be welded. It was considered that this would,,take three years, and they would have to be completed then; that demand would be brought about unquestionably by the public. The only people actually listened to to-day to any extent were the motorists, and they were going to demand roads if they had to pay. The Council must take a firm stand on the point that the fatepayers must not contribute any mor;e. The motorists must find the money. An increased subsidy or a free grant would have to be givep on, the uncompleted roads. Unless the highways were declai ed main roads, then the ridings where the highways were completed would be paying 60 or 70 per cent, more than their cost, and the ridings where the highways were not' completed would be paying that much less. The two ridings that weije going to lose, and have the loss for all time, were Te Horo and Otaki. The cost was going to be more to them than was estimated under the previous scheme. With regard to Cr. Jensen's suggestion, he' (the chairman) was quite willing to go to the Minister at any time. Cr. Jensen: Before you go any further in this matter?

The Chairman: No; I am going, to take the vote and ask you then to strike the rata. We have to find the interest on the money already spent. I am quite prepared to go to the Minister again with regard to the petrol tax; but that will not, affect the position in reference to our negotiations with the Board. They are, working under the Highways Act and the Petrol Tax Act. The only thing we can ask the Minister is that there be some alteration in some Act—l presume the Highways Act. It will be for us to decide what alterations and ask our representatives in Parliament accordingly. THE MOTION CARRIED.

The amendment moved by Cr. Kilsby, to defer action until a reply is received from the Board, was then put to the meeting and was lost, the voting being: Ayes—-Crs. Jensen, Catley, MeLeavey and Kilsby. Noes —The Chairman and Crs. Barber, Whyte, Ryder and Bryant. The motion declaring the main roads was carried, the voting being on the same lines, reversing the "ayes" and "noes" above. A PASSAGE AT ARMS.

Cr. Jensen rose and asked the chairman for permission, to leave. , The Chairman: I have no authority to stop you from leaving the Council table.

Cr. Jensen: I simply do this as a protest. I am not quite clear whether we would get any redress in our rates, but I am sorry that we have not taken this last stand. In other words, I feel we have not done quite what we might have done on behalf of ratepayers. The Chairman: You speak for yourself.

Cr. Jensen: I don't say the Council feel; I feel exceedingly ,sorry that I will have to leave you at this, stage. Whether I take any further action in the matter I have, not quite decided. It seems to me that my usefulness, if I have been of any in this Council, is just about past. I may not see eye to eye with you, but I have always thought that we were all working for the one object, and that was to make the best possible that we could out of the position we have, got into.. Unfortunately, as I have said we have not,got quite to that stage that we have agreei on what action to take.

I am quite aware, and have been all along, that the Board have not got the power to act as I have wished, but the Government have, and the members of the Government also know that the Board are not considering the ratepayers, but only the Act, and how they may act. I am sorry that the Government have misled the ratepayers as jo easing their burden and have found $t to put another burden on top of that. The Chairman: You are not blaming the Council for that?

Cr. Jensen: No. I have, up to thjis stage, worked; with the Council and tried .to work to the interest of the County as a whole, and I have intended to help the ratepayers as a wholje, but I have failed. We don't knojw what benefit we may have had by going to- the Minister. None of us today knows what we may have derived from that.

The Chairman: I think that, seeing that you have been to the Minister, you might be frank and tell the Council u-hat he told you. I have told them what he told me.. Cr. Jensen: I have told the Council that he would like a deputation to meet him.

The Chairman: What hope did the Minister hold out that he would give you redress —the same, as he told me, his sympathy was with the ratepayer? It takes legislation. Civ Jensen: It might come from us as a request. 'I don't think there is any county in New Zealand in a worse position than we are in to-day. The Chairman: I think I must cssl Cr. Jensen to order. It is about time we got down to tin-tacks without having, a childish display s like we are haying now. I interviewed the Minister in this matter and elicited the sympathy of the two Members of ParliamentThey were sympathetic, and the Minister, told me he was, and he has fu|l power, if injustice was being done, to bring down legislation for relief. This was before the Petrol Tax Bill became an Act. Cr. Jensen feels that further representation should be made to the Minister. I have given him every opportunity to move a motion that a deputation wait on the Minister, and.he is still at liberty to do that; but for him to say that we have not taken the action necessary, is merely talking to the fallery. We are not here for that, but to do what is in the' interests of the ratepayers. Even if we have declared the highways main l-oads, the Minister can still give the relief necessary to the ratepayers. Cr. Jensen eontends that on ,top of the highways tax he had the petrol tax, whieh was unfair.' If he moves a motion, I will be pleased to head a deputation to the Minister. A s a Council we should not get down to these small things, but deal with them as an intelligent body of men, and not childishly. I am sorry to make a statement like this, but II am riot going to put up with being told that we have not taken the full action that we should have taken. Cr. Jensen has asked me for permission to leave the table. It is in his own power; he can leave the table, but I want him to be fully cognisant of what'my feelings are.

■ Cr. Jensen: Do: you accuse me of speaking to the Press, or the gallery The Chairman: Yes—a gallery display. - . Cr. Jensen objected, to his attitude being described as childish. . The Chairman: "I say it is a childish display. ' I invite you to move a motion, and if you are prepared to do so I accept it.'- . Cr. Jensen left the'room, and the meeting adjourned for lunch. When the Council resumed, he returned and a reconciliation was announced. The chairman said there had been a little misunderstanding, and, as far as he was concerned, he had probably aeted a little hastily/ Cr. Jensen was prepared to resume his seat, and he (the chairman) was prepared to withdraw unreservedly anything of an offensive nature, because, if they were going to get the best out of the Council, it was best to work with unanimity and not to cast aspersions. Or. Jensen and himself had evidently been working at cross purposes. They might not see eye to eye just- at the moment;- but if they were going to serve the ratepayers' best interests they must pull together, 'v Cr. MeLeavey: You deserve credit. The Chairman: I always like to do what is right. MINISTER TO BE INTERVIEWED. Cr. Jensen then moved and Cr. Bryant seconded, that a deputation consisting of the chairman j Crs. Whyte, Catley, Ryder and the mover wait on the Minister of Public Works to place before him the in justice \of the application of the petrol tax so far as it applies to this county; also the working of the Highways Act; and that Messrs W. H. Fi Id, M.P., and J. Linklater, M.P,., be asked to arrange the deputation, preferably about July 25th. This was carried without opposition.