TWO HIGHWAYS BOARDS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 606, 7 March 1929, Page 1

TWO HIGHWAYS BOARDS

SUGGESTION OF MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION

CONCLUSION OF CONFERENCE

(Special to THE SUN)

WANGANUI, To-da

The Municipal Conference concluded to-day. Delegates visited the spiral pipe works and were entertained at a garden party this afternoon. Invercargill was selected for the conference next year. The attendance of about 150 delegates at Wanganui was believed to be a record.

The Mayor of Wanganui. Mr. W. J. Rogers, president of the association, presided. The Minister of Labour, Mr. W. A. Veitch, who was also present, said the Government had a good deal to thank the municipal conference for, as most valuable advice had been passed along from year to year. The following remits were carried:

That the method of levying the hospital rate is inequitable, and that all hospital expenditure be met out of the Consolidated Fund. That in future the term of office of Mayor and councillors be for three years, instead of two as at present, and that the Act be amended accordingly. That the Government be asked to consolidate all legislation relating to motorvehicles and traffic, and to bring it into one Act; that municipal corporations take into consideration a scheme by which they may co-operate in a united insurance scheme with regard to fire, accident and fidelity risks. That the Main Highways Act be amended to provide that, in the event of any boundary road being declared a main highway, such declaration shall include the full width of such road, notwithstanding that a portion of the same may be situated within the boundary of a borough or town district (Mount Albert). Adopted. That borough councils having under 6,000 population be represented on the MainHighways Board and district councils (Taumarunui). It was considered unfair that small local bodies should not be represented. The case of To Aroha was cited. It was contended that they had a group of men on the Highways Council who were antagonistic to small bodies. This was adopted. That the Government be asked to set'up an independent Highways Board for the North and South Islands, that funds allocated to the different Islands be controlled exclusively by the board concerned. and that the authority for transfers of moneys from one account to another be withdrawn (Riccarton).

SOUTHERN BOARD WANTED

Mr. D. Sullivan. M.P., piloted this remit, and said that the question affected the South Island and not the North. Practically the whole of the South was unanimous for a Southern board. The present policy had not been satisfactory to the South and the work of construction was not being done. Mr. Moffatt (Nelson) said that it would create a friendly rivalry, and the results of the two boards would be highly beneficial for comparison. Mr. J. Morrison said that the Highways Board, as run, was of the greatest benefit to New Zealand. He contended that the South Island local bodies would not get to work and see that the roads were put in order the same as in the North. Mr. Sullivan, in reply, said the reason the South Island was not availing itself of the money was that thev were not satisfied with the policy. The remit was lost. That the Government be urged to .amend the law so as to allow the Highways Board to refund some part of the cost of construction of main highways to such boroughs as constructed their por- | tions of the highway in a permanent manner without assistance from the ! hoard, the payments to be limited to such boroughs as would be entitled to 1 a subsidy had the formation of such highways been deferred until now (Otahuhu). ; It was pointed out by the Feilding ! delegate that a number of small j boroughs and boards had laid down permanent roads without assistance, and. had they waited three or four years, they would have got assistance. The Highways Board should recognise the work done by those small boroughs. Adopted. That the Government be urged to arrange that the amount of the petrol tax allocated to municipalities with' a population over 6,000 be increased from S per cent, to 16 per cent. (Hamilton). Adopted. A similar remit was passed at the last conference.