ARTERIAL ROADS.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 June 1922, Page 5

ARTERIAL ROADS.

PROPOSALS FOR CONTROL VIEWS OF THE CONFERENCE. FINANCE AND MAINTENANCE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Minister for Public Works has issued an official statement regarding the conference on arterial roads. He states the conference had agreed that it was necessary to set up such an organisation as a Highways Board to bring about an improved standard of road construction and maintenance. The general sense or feeling of the meeting was that as improved roads are primarily required for the use of motor traffic it was generally acknowledged that motors must provide a considerable proportion of the money necessary. It was assumed that something like £300,000 would be produced from this source, and to this would be added the same sum per annum now provided from the Consolidated and Public Works Funds, but spent on what the conference suggested should be called the main traffic roads, and what would under a classification scheme be termed main arterial highways and roads of secondary importance, but would not include any departmental roads or roads of purely local interest. The total funds assumed to be available were £500,000.

As to the disposal of these funds, it was recognised a portion must be devoted to maintenance and a portion to improvement of existing standards, involving the reconstruction of some roads, new construction or deviation of others. A portion of the funds is to be paid to the existing local authorities on a graded basis, and loans would be necessary. The Minister went into details as to the method of control, and suggested a board of six members, with a chairman, divided into two, one section administering the South Island and the other the North Island.