MAIN HIGHWAYS.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 October 1922, Page 5

MAIN HIGHWAYS.

BILL PASSED BY HOUSE. CONSTITUTION OF BOARD. ALLOCATION OF TYRE TAX. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Main Highways Bill was taken in committee in the House to-night. In reply to a question, the Hon. J. G. Coates said the board had ample power to take land for highways under the Public Works Act.

Mr. G. W. Forbes (Hurunui) objected to motor dealers having special representation on the board, and the provision to this effect was struck out. Mr. W. A. Veitch (Wanganui) moved that the Municipal Association have a special representative on the board on the ground that city and borough rodents would contribute largely to the revenue.

Mr. Coates said it was desirable to have as small and compact a body as possible in order that it may not become unwieldy and slow in transacting business. Motor owners had representation, and the Government representatives would look after the municipal interests.

Tn subsequent discussion town members favored the new clause, while country members opposed it, on the grounds that it meant double representation to towns, the motor owners’ representative being practically sure t) be a city man. On a division the amendment was lost by 46 to 20. In reply to Mr. H. E. Holland (T-cader of the Labor Party), the Minister said he favored one board for the whole of the Dominion as an experiment. If experience proved there ought to be a separate board for the South Island then the matter could be reviewed at the end of twelve months. This was agreed to. On the motion of the Minister the term “local committees” was altered to “district highways council” wherever it appeared in the Bill. This was at the suggestion of the counties’ conference. Replying to Mr. J. McCombs (Lyttelton), the Minister said that by the time the Act came into operation the tyre tax would be yielding £150.000 annually. Mr. T. K. Sidey (Dunedin South) raised the point that the whole of the revenue received, by the board should be allocated on the basis of the number of motor vehicles in both islands. Mr. Forbes contended it was under* stood in the South Island that the revenue would be allocated on that basis, otherwise they would never have agreed to let the South Island board go. After considerable discussion the clause was agreed to unaltered, the Minister promising to look into the question of drafting a suitable amendI ment. which, if adopted, would be inserted in the Legislative Council. I Mr. O. Hawken (Egmont) raised the question of allocating funds to district groups. The Minister said it was a very complicated question, and after looking at it from all sides he thought it best to leave it to the board to deal with each case on its nfierits. The remaining clauses were then passed. The Minister stated the Counties’ Association had considered the Bill that afternoon, and had drafted several new clauses, which he had not fully considered. If 'he could accept them they would be inserted in the Legislative Council, and the House could consider them at a later stage. The Bill was then reported with amendments, read a third time and passed.

TARANAKI MEMBER’S VIEWS. PLEA FOR LESS HASTE. (By Wire—Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, Last Night. During the debate on the Main Highways Bill to-night, Mr. S. G. Smith (Taranaki) said he thought it unfortunate that so important a Bill should have been introduced so late in the session. He thought it a mistake to set up a board which was not elected by the people. As he read the Bill a local authority wae to have no right of appeal against the board’s apportioiment. He regarded the Bill as indicating the Government’s want of confidence in local bodies. Many local authorities had been highly successful in road construction and maintenance. The Government could have brought about the construction of main highways more satisfactorily by adopting the standards of the mo*3t successful local bodies and increasing the grants for roads, than by setting up the elaborate system proposed in the Bill. The Bill was a step towards the abolition of local government. Too much responsibility was being taken away from local authorities, and he hoped the whole Bill would not be rushed through during the present session. Provision ought to be made* merely for the setting up of a board to present next year a report recommending that certain roads should be main highways.