ROAD MAINTENANCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLV, Issue 10386, 4 May 1925, Page 6

ROAD MAINTENANCE.

£1 FOK £1 SUBSIDY UKGEO. COUNTY COUNCIL DEPUTATION. A deputation from the Asliburton County Council waited ozi the Hon. J. G. Ooates, Minister of Public Works, at the railway station evi 7»"iurday evening to ask for an iiic*........ A the amount of the grant allowed by the Main Highways JJoard for the work of maintenance, which at present is onethird of the cost, while the grant for construction work is one-half.

The deputation consisted of Messrs W Gr. Gallagher (chairman), C. Eeid, iVV! T. Lill, and Gr. Kelly (clerk). Mr Gallagher said they wished to point out one or two things that very much affected the County. The matter of maintenance work affected the whole of Canterbury, as a matter of fact, but as far as the County wa,s concerned there was very little construction work, the roads in this. locality having been made long ago. Therefor© the Council was not likely to get back the full sum it paid out in the keeping of highways in order. He thought they were entitled to a £ for £ subsidy for maintenance, which, in fact, was all they required. Touching on the work on the Bpringburn line, Mr Gallagher thanked the Minister for what had been done. At Hackthorne, however, there was no siding, and ■ the Council had a very large quantity of firewood there awaiting railage. Though Christehurch was wanting this wood it could not be got away. Therelore some sort of a siding would be welcomed. A loop would be sufficient to meet requirements. Mr Lill said the Council was unable to take advantage of the Highways Act. It was improving roads as it went along by re-forming and metalling, it wanted to spend a fair amount of money, and one-third was not enough; they wanted a-half. Mr F W. Furkert said the law was laid down that where work was of siich a nature that it materially altered the road being attended to, it was called re-construction. Mr Lill said the Council had puichased new road-making machinery, believing they would be reimbursed to some extent, and holding that crushed metal was essential to good road-mak-U 1 Mr Lill referred to the stretch of 20 miles of road from Hinds, which, he said, wanted re-forming. I The Minister: It is not a road at an, I and it will carry the £1 for £1 subsidy. ■ He added that he wanted to geo going, as it was no use having s-ixes and SC Mr S ileid said the North Island had all their roads to make, and were getting the half-and-half subsidy, white in the South Island the local bodies wanted money for maintenance. The Minister promised to look into the matter, and it was agreed that after the next meeting of the Main

Highways Board this district's sentative (Mr J. I>. Bruce, of Akaroa) meet the No. 15 Highways Council at Timaru and endeavour to smooth out the troubles. , The Minister practically promised tho installation of a loop at Hackthorn© for the removal of wood from the adjacent plantations owned by tilt County Council.