PETROL TAX FUNDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 36, 12 February 1929, Page 10

PETROL TAX FUNDS.

HIGHWAY BOARD'S POLICY.

RURAL DISTRICTS FIRST.

'THHFE TO OXE" SUBSIDY.

Objects contemplated by the Main Highways Board in the distribution of the petrol tax funds were defined by the acting-chairman, Mr. A. E. Jull, in "reply to a number of deputations which waited opon the board at the Chamber of Commerce yesterday afternoon. Much was heard during the afternoon of the three to one subsidy on main highways. "It was never contemplated," said Mr ■lull, "that ihe tax should go to form a higher type of road radiating from the main centres. It was imposed in the lirst instance mainly to benefit the rural districts, and incidentally w e took the smaller towns in our stride." Continuing, the chairman explained there were strong arguments in support of assisting the local bodies in sparselysettled areas through which a large volume of motor traffic had to pass between one centre of population and another. There scemc<l to be an idea, he said, that the whole of the petrol tax was being used for paying a subsidy of £3 to £1 for a high-class road close to the cities, but that was not the position. Concrete or Bitumen. Several local bodies controlling sections of the Great South Road, Papatoetoe, Manurewa and Papakufa lown Board, submitted that the sSd paid three or four years ago when thei'r concreting schemes were carried out in eo-operat,on with the Highways Board should be increased to the paritv of three to one, now being paid.

Town Board, said the advent of the I»etrol tax since the road w as formed had matenally .altered the position of Jf, conceded. If the tax had been in f at the .me the work was done the boaS might have been more liberal in its subsidy The subsidy received was «„! sjderably less than 50 per cent, whereas Snu a o r ?i? d to r s: ntly ■— ~

Mr. Jull said the board considered at that time, and still considered, a bitemen road was sufficient for the requirements of the suburbs between the dty and Papakura. The people were determined to have concrete, and the boara , contributed what it regarded as a reasonable amount. "You have to remember ire must ka careful not to bring down upon ourselves an avalanche of similar applications," added the chairman. "A great many applications have been received for greater assistance, and these have to b» considered along with fifty-odd requests from boroughs which received no assistance at aIL"

Otahuhu's Burden. Otahuhu"s position was described by the Mayor. Mr. R. B. Todd, as that of an unfortunate borough, upon which a heavy burden rested. A section of 1J miles of the Great South Road had been paved at a cost of about £2;>.000, and other permanent road works had cost £18,000. The rates, which were 4 i<l in the £ in 1925 had risen to 10] d. Mr. Todd submitted Otahuhu had not received a fair deaL Mr. Jull: There are 93 boroughs » N"ew Zealand in a position to ask for consideration as you have done- Everyone of the applications will come up for consideration. Mt. Wellington's burden, with a total length of 4v miles of concrete roads, wi described by the clerk of the road bowl, Mr. H. T. G. McF.lroy, who said the cost of upkeep was £130 a* mile. He asked the board to consider the question of declaring these roads main highways, whidi would entitle the road l>oard to a subsidy on their maintenance.

In the course of the board's tonr, ticularly in the North Auckland districts, said the chairman, it had beea noticed how ratepavers were sometime* led into expenditure on a high type of road under the impression that onet they laid down concrete their trouble! were at an end. Experience had showßf however, that the maintenance of the shoulders was a considerable item. More education on the part of ilie ratepaje" of the community appeared to be ge"* erally necessary." An applk-ation been made to the itoard tor sanction of the concrete road in ilie North, ti* supposition being that no iiiainten*n«» would be required lor thirty or fortf year*.