ARTERIAL ROADS.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 124, 25 May 1920, Page 4

ARTERIAL ROADS.

Many people will be anxious to learn the details of the new echeme of the Minister of Public Works -to solve the problem of main roads. In the meanwhile it is good news that Mr. Coates has such a scheme. Thie country is sadly in need of a bold statesmanlike policy in this direction; other countries have evolved successful schemes, and ifc behovee us to follow euit. Coincident with this statement of the Minister's, the appointment is anouneed of a Royal Commission to report upon the route, construction, and maintenance of the main road bebwen Helensville and Hamilton. The personnel of the Commission is excellent, and the order of reference admirably wide.' The Commission is to advis* not only as to the route and, construction of the road, but as to the financing of the enterprise. Much 'iaa been written about the scandalous state of road comtnunication between Auckland and the Waikato, but we are glad to :--pe that the Government has taken a'

<ider view of the road problem ac affecting Auckland and ite hinterland, and has instructed the Commission to report on a route bet wen Helens ville and HamiJ- ' ton. This means that the question to be considered will not be merely communication between Auckland and the Waikato, but between the Waikato and the North of Auckland. Wβ hope it will come within the province of the Commission to report on the question of taxing motor vehicles for the upkeep of this arterial road; if it does not, probably Mr. Coatee will include it in his scheme. At present motorists do not pay sufficient taxation. They need good roads, and they do much damage to indifferent or bad roads, and as a clase they would be quite prepared to contribute substantially to the upkeep of first-claes thoroughfares. The Wellington City Engineer, on his return from a. trip abroad, points out that in England motor vehicles pay a tax ranging from two to. forty guineas a year, in addition to license fees, and he has no doubt that if Wellington motorists ■were given good roads they-would be perfectly willing to pay the same fees as those charged in England. The Californian syetem is also well worth study. There the State and the Iocs! bodies construct firet-rate arterial: roads, the motorist paye a substantial tax to the 'State, and the State divide* thus revenue between the local bodies concerned, which apply it to road maintenance. Sqme such scheme should be applicable to this country.