REDUCTION OF VOTES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 706, 4 July 1929, Page 11

REDUCTION OF VOTES

PUBLIC WORKS FUNDS NORTH AUCKLAND PROTEST

( THE SUN’S Parliamentary Reporterj ELLINGTON, "Wednesday. A plea that the Public Works allocation vote be not reduced this year and that the system of aliocation be not altered, was entered today by a deputation to the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. fc.. A. Ransom. The deputation represented the counties of North Auckland, and some of its members had passages-of-arms with the Minister. , r - U. M. Rushworth (liny of lsln produced the deputation, v- 1) ieh consisted of the Rt. Hon. J. ol Coates, Header of the Opposition, the Hon veinon Reed, M.L.C., Messrs. C. , ' Macmillan (Tauranga), J. N. Massey (hianklin), A. J. Murdoch (Marsden), a’ J ' eo , -Murtin (Raglan), H. G. R. Mason (Auckland Suburbs). A. \y. Hall (Ilauraki), F. Waite (Clutha), A. IS. Ansel I (Chalmers), and Luke Webb, Chairman, "Whangarei County Council, H. T. Atkinson, chairman, Bay of Islands t ounty Council. K. B. Russell, county manager. Hokianga. L. M. Lane, chairman. Wliangaroa County Council. Allen Bell, representing the Mangonui ■County Council. Mr. Rushworth said that last year the sum of £424,000 had been voted tor counties’ public works, hut this year the amount available had been cut down to £400,000. All recognised the need for economy, but to cut down the backblocks’ access was to take the wrong end of the stick. ALTERED SYSTEM Also, it was proposed to alter the system of allocation of the funds. In the past there had been an automatic allocation based on seven factors, and this had met with the approval of counties as a. whole throughout the Dominion. l.'nder the reduction of the vote, the Whangarei public works district would be contributing £13,000 to the reduction of £24,000 —over 50 per cent. He understood that the sum in the hands of the Minister of Public Works for providing access to backblocks areas had been increased from £50,000 to £150,000. He suggested that instead of devoting the sum of £IOO,OOO to that purpose, the Government should include it in the ordinary Public Works roads vote, so that it could be used in allocations as hitherto. The Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates also urged a personal inspection of the area by tho Minister, and referred to the principle of allocation of the money, saying that the calculations on which it was based had been arrived at by himself and Mr. G. T. Murray, formerly Public Works engineer, in 1022. The system was based on certain definite principles, and' it was found that the only fair method of allocation was to take an average, and administer the fund for the average district and not for the particular one. He agreed that the Minister should keep a certain amount of money in hand for use in cases of emergency. The whole idea was the fair division of public money without political bias. He urged the Minister to investigate the question. Mr. Murdoch, representing the Rodney County Council, said that for many years the North had been recognised as “the roadless North.” The position had been much improved, but the stage had not yet been reached when reductions could be made in Public Works votes. He urged the Minister to hold over his decision until a personal inspection had been made. The percentage that North Auckland was bearing of the cut was beyond all proportion. HIGH CHARGES FOR SETTLERS Mr. Webb discussed the high charges made on the settlers for the cartage of their cream on inadequate roads. An idea of how the allocations had dropped could be gained from the fact that in 1923-24 the vote had been £ 15.000, and in 1929-30 it would be £ 7.536.

Mr. Allen Bell said that lie had gone into the question of allocation and could find no better system than that adopted in 1922-23. Mr. Russell referred to the cut of 25 per cent, this year ami 33 per cent, in 1927-28 in his county, which had had to build roads to get access to the railway.

Other members expressed their views and the Minister replied that the request was not unexpected, but that, probably because it was most affected, the Whangarei district had been the only one to complain so far. His difficulty had been to arrive at the allocation for all districts. It had occurred to him that some districts had been suffering in the past and that others were reaping greater advantages than they were entitled to. Tiuit was why an alteration had been made. He regretted that he had been unable to* visit the North. He had tried as far as he was able to be fair to districts that had suffered m the oast North Auckland had £49,180 allotted to it, Auckland £78.687. Tauranga £48,793, Stratford £45,949, Wellington £13,530, and Napier £7,556. fairness and equity The point to be decided was the fairness and equity of the allocation. If the basis of allocation were wrong, he was prepared to amend it. Mr. Coates: How were the factors aF jlr Ransom said that as Mr. Coates had had 12 years of them, he should be familiar with the method. He was prepared to look into the question. He regretted having to cut down the allocations, but a deficit of half million had to be faced. Last year Whanga ,-el had had £15,000 out of a total of £ Mr?° Russell pointed out that vital information such as total rates and valuation might be missing from the Minister’s calculations. , , erl Mr. Coates once moie emphasised the value of the factors. All the de nutation asked was that the Minister base his conclusions on those factois. Air Russell: Is it too much to a-k for an assurance that you will adhere to the allocation system’. . The Minister would not commit lum- " e \Vr Rushworth: Have we an assuiance that there will be no alteration until after a personal inspection. The Minister: The notices have alreadv gone out to the local bodies Air Coates: The Minister said that he had burned his boats by sending 0,,t the notices. I hope he hasn t. Mr Rushworth: You will preserve the allocations for this year. The Minister: I have seen the necessitv for augmenting the funds for SP Mr a ßushworth: Can't you give us an aS The a Mini°ster" y Not r ai: present. I hav» to be convinced that I’m Evinced n Ile have co depu tation could' £ave it to the Minister, as a fair-minded 1; 1 ■ ll '