ARTERIAL ROADS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 114, 15 May 1936, Page 9

ARTERIAL ROADS.

GENERAL CRITICISM. "ANOTHER LITTLE ARGUMENT" SEVEN POUNDS FOR ONE. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. The concern of some Taranaki local bodies over the proportion of contributions they would be liable to pay under an agreement for the upkeep of Egmont National Park Reserve caused the Minister of Public Works, Mr. Semple, to make some emphatic comment to-day on difficulties he has experienced in securing the co-operation of counties in the improvement of national arterial roads. Ilis criticism was general, and not directed to Taranaki. There had been what the Minister called "a little a: gum en t about 25 per cent," and Mr. Semple declared that this was another little argument in favour of all the main arterial roads of the j country being taken over by the Main Highways Board. "That," ne continued, "has got to come, because I have a volume of evidence to prove that we will never have a properly constructed and maintained highway in this country until it is under the control of one organisation, with 110 contribution from anybody else." No Contributions. "Wo have cases all over the country— no paving in the South Island because some counties will not contribute their share. I know that when the problem is tackled some counties will say nasty things,,and come here with their bristles up and call me names, but the fact is that our arterial roads are a national institution, and we cannot afford to prevent anyone from making them up to date and efficient, giving the people speedy and safe access to the markets of our country. "I was in the South Island the other (Jay," added the Minister, "and told some courttv representatives that there was no paving in the district, and asked the cause. The counties said they would help nil they could if I would give them £7 to £1. I said 1 would give nothing' of tl'e kind. We were proposing to do it ourselves, and if that was the best they could do, they could get out of the picture!" Local Bodies Anxious. The subject was subsequently raised in the House by Mr. H. G. Dickie (National, Patca), who, in an urgent question, asked Mr. Semple if he would inform the House as to the date 011 which the main highways would be nationalised. Local bodies, he said, were about to budget for main highways expenditure for the current year, and this would be unnecessary if the Government was taking over the.main arterial roads in the near future. "It is proposed to introduce at the earliest possible date an amendment to the Main Highways Act, which will give power for the nationalisation of main arterial roads," replied Mr. Semple. "The date on which roads will be so taken over will be fixed by the Minister. There will be no unnecessary delay."