THE MAIN ROADS PROBLEM.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 36, 19 November 1920, Page 8

THE MAIN ROADS PROBLEM.

The Public Works Statement indicates that ihe Government is committed to a sound roading policy. The Minister for Public Works indi'cated that the Government would bring down legislation which we conj.ecture is the Main Roa.ds Bill su.ggested by Mr Massey. Unfortunately, at the last moment we are informed that the proposals will not be presented to Parliament until next session. Whatever form the Bill may take, it must essentially be of a controversial character and the Government would have been well advised to have submitted its proposals to local bodies for their consideration in the intervening pejiod. It is presumed that the intention of the Government is to reli,eve the count'y councils-of roads used principally for through traffic. There can be no doubt that the road from Invercargill to Picton should be a direct charge upon the Government and be a national highway. Under the Victorian system of dealing with main roads administration, a main road includes not only arterial roads through the country, but highways carrying a considerable volume of traffic from centre to centre or to the railway. Legisla. tion is about to be submitted to the New South Wales State Parliament which will institute a Main Roads Board. The

Government had a conference with the local bodies and detailed its proposals. The Minister explained thatafter examinmg the constitution of the State and National Road Boards in different parts of the world, he had come to the conclusion that the smaller the board was, the better and more efficent it would be. Ihe Main Roads Board would consist of two paid official members and the minister for local government. One of the paid official members would be an engineer who would design and build foads and bridges, and the otherMm administrator who knew how to buy material and handle men. The financing of the new scheme will effect a number of interests. To some extent the rat-epayers will be relieved at the expense of the tax-pay,er, even if this principle is carried no farther than the tax on tyres which motorists have already accepted as inevitable. The New Zealand Automohile Association has proposed customs duties anticipated to yield £166,000 per annum. 'inis sum would provide interest on a considerable loan but there is a tendency to penalise vehicles of purely a commercial character. We should have a direct tyre tax and a wheei tax in ord,er that the man who used the road may pay for its upkeep.