MAIN HIGHWAYS

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LII, Issue 8616, 13 June 1924, Page 4

MAIN HIGHWAYS

VIEWS OF THE EG A IRK

Shortly the Main Highways Board will submit to local bodies a form of agreement, setting out the terms of the agreement under which the local hodie.s will maintain the respective main highways on behalf of the beard.

Under section 18 of the Main Higlways Act the hoard is required to pay one third of the cost of maintenance and repair, and in regard to main highways, which are also Government loads, local body councils have agreed lor the present to continue to contribute an amount based on the council’s present expenditure on such, roads-on the average expenditure during tie last two or throe rears.

The board favours the system whereby the highway is divided into lengths and a definite number of men. allotted to each section, similar to the method adopted by the Railway Department in ix%petcf to rail roads. The board does not desire to press the adoption of this system at the present time, however, hot is satisfied to allow local bodies to give the systems at present in vogue in their districts a fair trial.

The arrangement refers only, to maintenance , not to construction or reconstruction, In regard to special work* of repair other than ordinary surfacemen’s, wages involving an expenditure on which the hoard's subsidy would «s----ceod £SO. the board considers proposals should be submitted to the district highway council for transmission to and the approval of the Main Highways Hoard prior to the work being undertaken, When repairs are of such an urgent nature as to require immediate attention the board’s representative in the district, it is considered, should fo notified and his interim approval te work being proceeded with obtained.