HIGHWAYS FUNDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 200, 24 August 1929, Page 23

HIGHWAYS FUNDS.

MOTORISTS' COMPLAINTS.

VIEW OF SOUTH ISLAND PRESIDENT.

SUBSIDIES SHOULD BE RAISED.

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON", Friday.

A complaint concerning the Government's proposals in regard to the Main Highways fund allocation was made by Mr. A. E. Ansell, Reform member for Chalmers, in the House of Representatives this afternoon. His remarks were listened to with interest for the reason that Mr. Ansell is president of the South Island Motor Union, and he may claim to speak on behalf of motorists generally.

Mr. Ansell said the motorists had at no time objected to paying a fair share of taxation. So far as the £200,000 was concerned, there was a definite obligation on the Government to honour the agreement that it had arrived at with the county authorities and the motorists. Ho considered that the Highways Board had done splendid service for the country.

Mr. F. Langstone (Waimarino): The Highways Board is a nuisance!

Vo';* Should t& Increased.

Mr. Aiißiill did not agree. ' n hey had done a tremendous lot of wo:k which would not have been tackled had the board not been in existence. When the board took over there were approximately GOOO miles of roads under its control, but to-day that mileage had been increased to 10,000 miles. Instead of the Public Works vote being cancelled altogether it should be increased. The Government, as the result of its action, was being relieved of the liability of looking after 10,000 miles of road. In addition to ordinary taxation the motorists last year had paid into the Consolidated Fund about £1,200,000. In regard to the secondary roads that had been taken over the Government had been relieved to the extent of at least £50,000 annually. Burden on Motorists. It had to be remembered, continued Mr. ■ Ansellj that a large proportion of the secondary roads were in backbloek areas and served land which could be settled and developed. In his opinion, the burden of relieving the unemployed should not be put on any particular section of the community. The Prime Minister had stated that it was not the duty of the Government to provide work for "everybody, but somebody had to do the job. Last year the motorists had contributed ab out £220,000 towards the finding of work for the unemployed. It was hardly a fair thing to put that burden on to the .motorists. Generally speaking, the motor' ists were quite prepared to allow their funds to be used for that purpose/but in doing so they were certainly , making, a sacrifice because -a large proportion of the Work which had been carried out would riot, under ordinary circumstances, have been necessary for many years. It was carried out under conditions that, certainly, were not economic, In order to relieve unemployment in the cities the Government had subsidised local bodies to the extent of about £100,000. Motorists did'not object to that, but they did object to the Government not only refusing to subsidise the contributions by motorists but by going further and taking away money to whieh the motorists we're justly entitled. Large sums had been spent by the Highways Board in the South Island on Government* roads arid bridges. On the West Coast particularly the rdads had been constructed and maintained out of the Highways Board's fund arid the £200,000 which it was proposed to take away had been specially eaririarked for assisting districts to have decent roads without calling on adjacent landholders to contribute to the cost.

Government Saved Money. Many thousands of pounds had been saved by the Government in the construction of bridges as a result of the contributions which the motorists had made. Had those contributions not been made the' Government would have been faced with a very heavy expenditure from its Public Works funds. Mr. Ansell had been endeavouring to find cases in which ttfe Governments of other countries were absolutely repudiating the responsibility for their main highways. He had been unable to find any cases at all.' The Government had been doing the Wrong thing in disregarding its responsibilities to pay portion of the expenditure which, wag necessary for the maintenance and construction of the main roads of the country.

A Moral Obligation. Mr. Ansell said he considered there was a legal obligation on the Government to make the contribution, but if there was not a legal claim there was indisputably a moral claim. No Government should shelter behind a legal quibble in order to get out of its obligation. The Suggestion by the Prime Minister that there were ample funds in the- possession of the Highways Board to carry on its work was refuted by Mr. Ansell. What the Prime Minister was actually doing was to deprive the counties of New Zealand of the subsidies to which they were entitled. Outlining what the Highways Board had .done since it had come into existence, the speaker pointed out that at first it paid a subsidy of £1 for £2. When it found that the number of motor cars in New Zealand had exceeded its expectations it raised the subsidy to £1 for £1. Then, as the taxation increased, it went up to 30/ for £1, and later, when further increases were made, it went up to £2 for £1. There was no doubt that the counties would be Justly entitled to a greater subsidy in future than they had had in the past, and on behalf of the counties in his district he wished to strongly protest against the proposals of the Government. "Absolute Nonsense." A gentleman connected with the United party—Mr. Ansell believed he Tjjas the Dominion organiser of the party, —had been making a number of statements regarding the Highways Board, apparently with the object of justifying the Government's proposals. That gentleman had stated that there was a oreat deal of money: invested by the board and that it was proposed to spend this in five years' time. That was absolute nonsense. It had also been stated by the same, gentleman that every year the board was receiving big amounts from the Government and was not spending the money. He had-never heard such absolutely absurd statements.