H.—4o.

(2) Local Rates. Local rates show a slight increase. This item remains the chief source of money for expenditure on the roads, this year's total comprising 32 per cent, of the total. (3) Unemployment Taxation. The amount expended this year again shows a decline, approximately £240,000, the proportion of the total now being 15-2 per cent. (4) General Taxation. This item has remained almost constant during the five years under review. This year's figure represents 14-8 per cent, of the total. (5) Motor-taxation. Motor taxation shows a substantial increase of almost £520,000 over the previous year. This reflects the increased revenue from motor-spirit taxation, while local-authority revenue from motordrivers' licenses and heavy-traffic fees has also increased. Details of this revenue are published elsewhere in this report. A noticeable feature is that this item is gradually approaching the amount provided by local rates. Whereas the amount expended from local rates in 1930-31 exceeded that from motor-taxation by some £1,200,000, the excess is now only £390,000. (6) General. The following table indicates the approximate percentages of the various sources of revenue comprised in the total expenditure on roads during the five years ended 31st March, 1935 : —

(c) Annual Chaeges pee Mile on Roads, Streets, etc., 1930-35. The following table shows the annual expenditure for the five years ended 31st March, 1935, on the various classes of roads, &c, computed per mile of road and/or street : —

Tables Nos. 5 and 6 of the Appendix show the lengths of various classes of roads, streets, and bridges during the years from 1922 to 1935 inclusive.

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Item. 1930-31. 1931-32. 1932-33. 1933-34. 1934-35. Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. Loan .. ... .. 28-9 22-5 8-1 10-1 11-4 Local rates .. .. 35-9 31-9 35-6 33-9 32-0 Unemployment taxation .. 1-3 9-9 19-7 19-6 15-2 General taxation .. .. 11-7 12-9 14'5 15-7 14-8 Motor-taxation .. .. 22-2 22-8 22-1 20-7 26-6 Total .. .. 100-0 100-0 100-0 100-0 100-0

Annual Charges per Mile of Road. PI ass of Road Year ended Length of — ot Koaa. 31st March, Formed Roads. T , , , Maintenance. Lo " n 6 Q^ a rges. TotaL Miles. £ £ £ Main highways .. .. 1931 10,420 127 57 184 1932 10,846 111 59 170 1933 10,878 79 57 136 1934 10,975 84 58 142 1935 11,176 114 55 169 Urban roads and streets .. 1931 4,055 143 152 295 1932 4,052 131 158 289 1933 4,106 111 156 267 1934 4,086 97 143 240 1935 4,035 97 137 234 Other roads .. .. 1931 35,103 32 32 64 1932 35,378 29 34 63 1933 35,909 21 32 53 1934 36,010 20 32 52 1935 36,947 26 31 57 Total, all roads .. 1931 49,578 61 47 108 1932 50,276 55 49 104 1933 50,893 41 47 88 1934 51,071 40 46 86 1935 52,158 50 44 94