“UNIQUE POSITION”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 745, 19 August 1929, Page 10

“UNIQUE POSITION”

NEWMARKET CLAIM FOR ASSISTANCE

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER

The claims of Newmarket for assist ante for the construction of roads were laid before the Minister of p ub lie Works, the Hon. E. A. Ransom this morning. A deputation, headed by the Mav of Newmarket. Mr. S. Donaldsoi wj! introduced by the Postmaster-Gen. the Hon. J. B. Donald. The position was that Newmarket was a borough, with less than s 00n population, said Mr. Donaldson and could get nothing from the petrol tar The Main Highways Board had re fused to declare the road a main hiriway, though very heavy traffic passed through Newmarket, a test showinr that 5.000 vehicles passed through the borough in five hours. They asked for “justice and a fair share of the petrol tax.” All they got at present was a contribution from the heavy traffi licence fees, he said. It was also pointed out that Carlton Road, from Park Road to Vic toria Crescent, should be laid down in concrete, and this work would cost between £50.000 and £60,000, which was a heavy burden for a small borough. “The case of Newmarket is unique " said the Minister. “It is in the position of having all the heavy traffic and not being recognised as a main highway. Unfortunately, if the Highways Board agreed to the representations from the various boroughs work for the coming year would ka T . to be seriously curtailed. If the Car) ton Road can be proved a main highway, it will be proved a just claim, l will look into the matter, and see what the position is, though I do not think there is much chance.” Asking for relief from the rate burden, as the result of putting it, concrete road down prior to the Main Highways Act coming into force, th« Otahuhu Borough Council, headed b* the Mayor. Mr. T. Clements, wailed upon the Minister. " The position was that the road had been put down to conform with hign ways specifications, said Mr. Clem, ents, and £20.000 had been spent on the road itself. It was asked that £7OO a year be granted, which would repay half the interest and sinking fund on the road. He contended tha Otahuhu had a special claim. “I recognise that Otahuhu h»s a greater claim than any of the it or 17 boroughs in New Zealand t» the same situation.” said the Minister. He was sympathetic, but he recognised the seriousness of the position as far as the Main Highways Board was concerned. There was great difficulty in the matter of retrospective payments. He promised to go into the position and see if it was possible to do anything. A deputation from the Local Bodied Association, representing bodies in and around Auckland, waited upon the Minister in connection with Government assistance toward the construction of highways. The Rev. W. C. Wood said it was considered that the Highways Board or the Government should assist local bodies in meeting the interest bills caused by the raising of loans for the reconstruction of roads. Though the Highways Board had previously turned down requests for retrospective payments, the position of the board was much more sound financially than when the original subsidies were granted. Mr. R. G. Clark, a member of the One Tree Hill Road Board, said his district had spent £70,000 on concrei' roads and received a subsidy Of only £6.000.

The Minister said the difficulties of retrospective payments had already been explained to two previous deputations. The funds of the Highways Board were fully taxed at present.