BACKBLOCK ROADS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 919, 12 March 1930, Page 11

BACKBLOCK ROADS

INCREASE IN PETROL TAX SUGGESTED MINISTER AT MQRRINSVILLE From Our Own Correspondent MORRINSVILLE, Today. The problem of how to find funds to provide paved main roads, and also good roads for backblocks settlers, was referred to by the Minister of Fublic Works, the Hon. E. A. Hansom, when speaking at a bridge-opening ceremony at Morrinsville. Owing to the greatly increased expenditure on main roads to carry modern traffic, the Minister said that many local bodies had not as much money to spend on backblocks roads as in previous years, notwithstanding the assistance being received from the Highways Board and the funds supplied by the petrol tax. One way out of the difficulty was to have a certain amount of the petrol tax allocated for backblocks roads, but this would meet with strong opposition from the automobile associations, which were well organised, and would make themselves heard. However, if they insisted that the tax receipts should be spent on main roads, it might be possible to arrange that outlying districts should not be called on to pay. for main roads. In this way, counties would have more funds for backblocks roads. If it were not possible to transfer the petrol tax to the side roads, then the Highways Board would have to take over more of the roads in the outlying districts. The policy of the present Government, was to push on as far as possible with the construction of the main highways. “I am going to see to it that the backblocks districts are served,” continued Mr. Ransom. “I intend to have £250,000 spent on roads for the outlying districts. If we are to relieve unemployment, we must get people out into the backblocks.” Mr. W. R. Lowry, chairman of the Piako County Council, said he thought the Main Highways Board needed more funds than it had today, and he was of the opinion that the petrol tax must bQ -raised, and the additional funds placed at the disposal of the board. This was the problem of the future. At present the counties were getting their roads thrashed about by motor traffic. The Highways Board had its hands full already, and the only way out of the difficulty was to raise the petrol tax.