COST OF HIGHWAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20249, 8 May 1929, Page 12

COST OF HIGHWAYS.

APPEALS FOR STATE HELP.

NO RETROSPECTIVE PAYMENTS.

PRIME MINISTER'S STATEMENT.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. 0 NEW PLYMOUTH. Tuesday.

An announcement apparently bearing on thp numerous requests for retrospective highways payments, was made by tho Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, at Inglewood this morning. Sir Joseph said it was impossible for the Government to mako any retrospective payments on roads. That question had been put to him in New Plymouth, but no Government could look back and pay for what it could escape. From now on the Government would have to contribute largely in other ways, and while he would like to turn the clock back, it was not possible for the Government to make payments of that nature. It could not make retrospective payments to local bodies for work undertaken in tho past, but it could help in the future in building roads, bridges and other works of development. Later in the day a deputation from tho Taranaki Local Bodies' Association waited upon the Prime Minister at Eltham, in respect to compensation for highways built prior to tho operation of the Main Highways Board. It was suggested that more secondary highways should bo declared in Taranaki, so as to give local bodies more help in that respect. A request was also made for a commission to tako evidence on the question whether tho local bodies wcro asking a fair thing.

Sir Joseph said he would confer with the chairman of the Main Highways Board and see if a conference could be arranged. It seemed this was the only course open to them. If it was a case of asking tho Government to contributo toward previous bituminising of these roads, he would have to say ' No, because that would mean borrowing money to pay back to local bodies. He would .try to arrange a conference to see if some form of compensation from now on could bo provided for, but he reminded tho deputation that the Highways Board was governed by a separate Act, and ho could not bind the board. "It is much easier to get money to do a job than it is to get a refund after you have done it," said Sir Joseph when making a further reference to the subject at a civic reception at Eltham.