OUTLAY ON ROADS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 July 1938, Page 7

OUTLAY ON ROADS

THE HON R. SEMPLE DENIES EXTRAVAGANCE IMPROVEMENT DECLARED TO BE ESSENTIAL ON ACCOUNT OF INCREASE IN TRAFFIC By Telegraph.—Press Association, WELLINGTON, This Day. “The action that is being taken by the Public Works Department to improve the roads throughout New Zealand is absolutely essential in view of the great inerease in the amount of motor traffic,” said the Minister of Public Works, the Hon R. Semple, speaking in the Address-in-Reply debate in the House of Representatives last night. Mr Semple answered charges of extravagance that had been made’ by members, and declared that the safety campaign that was being carried out would be useless unless it were founded on a good roading system. “Speaking earlier in this debate the member for Clutha, Mr J. A. Roy, said that the Public Works Department had spent £200,000 on one. mile of road in his constituenucy,” ■ Mr Semple said. “He later ■ confirmed that statement three times, but afterward came to me to make a personal explanation. That was no good to me, however, as his original statement had gone out to the people of this country, and I think it must be refuted in the same way. The actual amount that has been spent on that piece of road to date is £5400, so that he is just £195,000 out. Two bridges to cost £3600 have yet to be built, and the final cost altogether will be £9150.”

The Rev C. L. Carr (Government, Timaru): “How long is the road?” “It is just over a mile, and is on a hillside in a very rough piece of country,” Mr Semple replied. “The member for Clutha also said the road was useless, but it is a main highway and we are trying to bring the main highways of this country up to standard.” The Minister said that Mr H. G. Dickie (Opposition, Patea) had alleged that there had been extravagant expenditure on a road in his district. Mr Dickie: “Will you give me a return of the money spent there?” Mr Semple: “I will give a full account of every copper I have spent since I have been Minister of Public Works." Mr Dickie: “You have never seen that job.” Mr Semple: “I saw it just a month ago.” The Minister said that New Zealand was now the second highest motorised country in the world, with an increase of 30,000 motor-cars in the past year, and an attempt was being made to reduce the number of fatal accidents that occurred on the roads. It was no use tightening up the law and punishing people more heavily if the roads were faulty, and it was a tribute to what had already been done that in spite of a 30 per cent increase in motor traffic in this country there had been no increase in the number of fatal accidents on the roads. He would apologise to no one for trying to improve the roading system of New Zealand. The road work in the Clutha electorate, mentioned by the Minister, was referred to by Mr K. J. Holyoake (Opposition, Motueka) later in the debate. Mr Holyoake said he had had the road pointed out to him by a resident of the district and of all the works he had seen in New Zealand it represented the most flagrant waste of public money. The new road would be steeper in grade than the old . one and in winter would be nothing more than a snow trap. Whatever the cost, the money could well have been diverted with benefit to the provision of access roads for settlers.