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APPENDIX D

TWENTY-FIFTH ANNUAL KEPORT OF THE MAIN HIGHWAYS BOARD

The Hon. Minister of Works, Wellington. Sir In accordance with the requirements of section 24 of the Main Highways Act, 1922, the Main Highways Board has the honour to submit its twenty-fifth annual report for presentation to Parliament. The report covers the period Ist April, 1948, to 31st March, 1949. GENERAL The present length of main highways maintained or subsidized by the Board is 12,708 miles, and particulars of expenditure for the year ended 31st March, 1949, as well as a detailed statement of the position of various works, are shown later in this report. Of the total length of main highways, 5,234 miles have been classified as State highways, and it should be noted that this figure is 1,256 miles in excess of that shown in last year's report, meaning, of course, that the State has accepted the full responsibility for future maintenance and construction costs of this additional length within standards approved by the Board. The total expenditure under vote " Highways Maintenance," which includes bridge renewals, and fixed charges amounted to £3,538,689. Under the vote " Highways construction " the total expenditure was £2,070,288, giving a grand total expenditure of £5,608,977, as compared with a total expenditure of £4,568,918 for the year immediately preceding. The registration of motor-vehicles showed .an increase of 25,809 over the previous year's figures, and the latest figures include 2,984 more heavy trucks —i.e., over 2 tons laden. The length of new sealing completed was 206 miles, together with 116 miles of priming coats, making a total of 322 miles. Of this total, 21 miles were carried out on deviations and reconstructed sections of the older sealed highways, and 37 miles constituted sealing on previous priming. In consequence, the net increase, in dustless surfacing is 263 miles. This makes a Dominion total of 4,186 miles, or 33 per cent, of the highway system. In addition to the above, a length of 314 miles of existing sealed surfaces received a maintenance coat. The length of new bridging completed was 3,107 lineal feet, compared with 2,664 lineal feet for the previous year. PERSONNEL In consequence of the resignation of Mr. William Morrison, who had been a member for nearly eighteen years, Mr. W. G. Belton, President of the New Zealand Counties Association, was, on the recommendation of that Association, appointed to be a member of the Board on the 2nd August, 1948.

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