DISSATISFIED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 70, 23 March 1934, Page 8

DISSATISFIED.

HEAVY TRAFFIC FEES.

ALLOCATION OF PROCEEDS,

RECEIPT OF SHARE WANTED.

With the objcct of settling differences which have arisen over the allocation in the No. 1 district of heavy traffic fees, a conference of local bodies, convened by the Mayor, Mr. G. W. Hutchison, is being held at the Town Hall this afternoon. According to one authority, the effect the meeting can have is as obscure as the authority for'its convention, as the apportionment recently made by the Minister of Transport is final and must be accepted as such. The main complaint of two of the constituent local bodies is that notwithstanding that the Ministerial order was made a month ago, the City Council, which has been acting as the distributing body, has not so far made the necessary disbursements. The circular letter which convened the conference indicates that the purpose is to consider a new basis of allocation of heavy traffic fees, it being pointed out in the letter that the council forwarded a protest to the Minister against making any alteration in the matter of apportionment until all the local bodies interested have had a conference. "We are attending it," said the chairman of one of the local bodies to-day, "but we don't know what it is all about. The Minister has issued his apportionment order, and what we want is our share of the proceeds as fixed by him. Whatever else it does, the conference cannot alter that." Appeal to Minister.

Under the heavy lorry regulations local authorities are empowered to collect heavy traffic license fees, as fixed under the regulations, for vehicles over two tons laden, and harmoniously agree upon the allocation of the proceeds among themselves. In the event of the local bodies failing to agree, they have the right of appeal to the Minister of Transport. The Minister of Transport can thereupon make an order of apportionment for the period appealed for, and in doing so must allocate, upon a certificate from the Commissioner of Transport, in accordance with the amount of money actually expended for the maintenance of the surfaces of the roads in the districts. Every effort is made by the Department of Transport to bring the local bodies into agreement before the matter is submitted finally to'the Minister of an order uf apportionment.

Substantial Changes. During the present year the 'local bodies failed to agree on the existing allocation, and an application was made to the Minister of Transport by the Waitemata and Manukau County Councils for an order of apportionment. This was duly granted 011 February. 23 last, but so far, it is alleged, it lias not been given clYect to by the distributing authority. Under the Minister's apportionment 22 of the 30 beneficiaries receive increased allocations, while the remainder receive less than under the allocation of the City Council. The local bodies who suffered deductions were the City Council, the Mount Albert,- Mount Eden, One Tree Hill, Devonport, Onehunga and Otahulm Borough Councils and the ranmure Township Road Board.

The percentnge allocations under tlie Minister's order were us under, those which were made under the ohl basis being shown in parentheses: —Waitemata County Council, 11.23 per cent (4.07' per cent); Manukau County Council, 0.27 (3.80); Franklin County Council, 12.16 (5.18); Birkenhead Borough Council, 1.30 (1.07); Northcote Borough Council, 1.11 (0.79); Takapuna Borough Council, 3.08 (2.48);. Devonport Borough Council, 2.1.") (3.67); New Lynn Borough Council, 1 (0.95); Mount Albert Borougli Council, 5.87 (0.56); Mount Eden Borougli Council, 3.16 (6.89); Auckland City Cauncil, 31.85 (46.22); Newmarket Borough Council, 1.09 (1.51); One Tree Hill Borough Council, 2.51 (3.07); Onehunga Borough Council, 2.84 (3.07); Otahuhu Borough Council, 1.50 (1.52); Pukekohe Borough Council, 1.45 (0.91); Hclensville Town Board, 0.35 (0.29); Henderson Town Board, 0.63 (0.35); Glen Eden Town Board, 0.57 (0.38); Ellcrslie Town Board, 1.01 (0.91); Howick Town Board, 0.27 (0.21); Papatoetoc Town Board, 0.82 (0.72); Manurewa Town Board, 0.80 (0.50); Papakura Town Board, 0.08 (0.58); Waiuku Town Board, 0.49 (0.29); Tuakau Town Board, 0.28 (0.21); Mercer Town Board, 0.18 (0.08); Mount Roskill Road Board, 2.44 (2.22); Mount Wellington Road Board, 1.62 (0.08); Panmure Township Road Board, 0.09 (0.10). According to the Act and the regulations, it would appear that this afternoon's conference has no option but to accept the apportionment set out in the Minister's order for the present year. What line of policy will be pursued for the next and subsequent years depends entirely upon whether the local authorities can come to an amicable agreement among themselves.