Bay of Plenty Times FRIDAY, JULY l9th, 1918. ARTERIAL ROADS.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 7011, 19 July 1918, Page 2

Bay of Plenty Times FRIDAY, JULY l9th, 1918. ARTERIAL ROADS.

THE question ot: the Government assuming control oi! the main roads of the Dominion is one that has lately received considerable attention as the result of representations made to local bodies by the Ohinemuri County Council. Opinions on the matter seem to be divided, ns while some local bodies favour Government control others are opposed to it. The contention that the subsidy system should be altered is one that finds favour in many quarters. The alteration aimed at is in .the direction of more liberal assistance from the Government in the sparsely settled areas. The Tauranga County is a couutv which should undoubtedly

be more liberally treated in tbe matter ol: financial help from tbe Government than it is. For instance the mail coach routes through part of the Katikati district and southward to Rotorua from the Paengaroa Junction run through much country that contributes little to the rates. In justice to the county the roads through these areas might -well be more liberally subsidised. The advent of the motor car and the increase in the cost of labour must neeessaril.y tend to make the cost of upkeep of roads much heavier for local bodies and the problem of maintaining the roads in anything like passable condition for a county such as Tauranga, where there is so much native owned and Crown land that pays no rates, wdll not be an easy one. It may not be out of place to mention that the nationalisation of arterial roads was urged-by a King Country deputation which waited upon the lions. W. Fraser and T. M. Wilford recently. Mr Wilford, while referring sympathetically to the difficult position of certain local bodies, said (hat he would not advocate the principle that local bodies, in general, should not help themselves. He would not encourage the spoon-feeding policy of getting everything from the Government. The Minister foi Public Works pointed out that the question of Slate control and maintenance of main roads was a matter for legislation. The Government would not do such work out of ordinary funds. No Government would do that. The great bulk of tho cost must come, whether by rates or taxes, out of the lands "benefited. Every acre of land would be increased in value by such improvements, and why should that increased value be presented to the landowner? Some local bodies, he added, tried to evade all liability for public works. In one case, for' example, a road had been formed and metalled by the Government, and for two years the local body had not employed a single surfaceman upon it. Not one shovel had been used on the road in the two years. —The Minister's remarks are interesting, and seeing that the large areas of Crown lands in this county and the native lands escaping taxation would be greatly benefited by improved roads we have certainly a good case, for better treatment in the matter of road subsidies. If this help is not forthcoming another alternative would be to simplify the Rating Act iv regard to native lands iv order that every acre should contribute its fair share to the upkeep of the roads throughout the county.