WHANGAREI COUNTY

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 362, 24 May 1928, Page 12

WHANGAREI COUNTY

CHAIRMAN DEFENDS POLICY GOOD FINANCIAL POSITION (From Our Oxen CorrespondentJ WPLANGAREI, Wednesday. Since W. Jones, M.P., relinquished the chair of the Whangarei County Council to enter Parliament the forward policy '’iiaugurated by him has been successfully carried on and expanded by his successor, Mr. Luke Webb. At the annual meeting of the council this afternoon Mr. Webb was unanimously re-elected chairman. In presenting his annual report he defended the policy of the council in allocating a large proportion of its expenditure to main arterial roads within the county. Settlers at a distance from main roads and less favourably served were apt to think that there should be a more general distribution of revenue. He pointed out, however, that legislation had created new sources of revenue from motor vehicles and under the direction of the Main Highways Board and the scale of Government subsidies there was a paramount responsibility to develop and maintain the main highways. In the Whangarei County there were 120 miles of county roads which had been declared main highways or Government r.oads. Increased Government assistance and new sources of revenue from motor vehicles tended to conserve the results of county expenditure on main roads by providing for their standard maintenance, and also would release in the near future a far greater amount of general revenue for expenditure on riding roads. The Government policy in regard to main highways and taxation came at a most critical juncture in the history of county councils. He did not know what the position would be to-day if the old order of things prevailed. He drew attention to the satisfactory financial position of the county. The public debt had increased in the last eight years from £62,033 to £91,910. During the same period the capital value of the county had increased from £2,391,833 to £4,448,308. Congratulations were tendered the chairman on his report which was adopted unanimously.