CITY V. COUNTRY

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18180, 17 September 1924, Page 13

CITY V. COUNTRY

HIGHWAYS AND MOTOR

VEHICLES.

STATEMENT BY MR J. D. BRUCE.

_ T,.i s question of city versus countrv is beginning to be rather acute," said * r J - B - Bruec > counties' representv tive on the Main Highways Board, in »ie course of a statement to a representative of -The Press" Yesterday relative to criticisms of the Motor Vehicles Bill and to main highwavs. Mr Bruce said that the question had Uken r ?, ISC K in A™"** been taken up by Cbristchurch, and, if perdM *' Was hkel y t0 h ave a prejudicial effect on the working of the Main t " l ;' t " d ? up by the cities was quite unfair: they had, evidently, not ™LI l' r °P" conception of what was proposed TV hat was being attempted was to deal <With the me£is of com mumcation in the country, which was as vital and as important to the cities as to the country. The highwavs legisj lation had its origin in the effect of I present day traffic on the maintenance I or. roads which had become more than i country ratepayers could bear. Roads were not being kept up to the required standard, and it wis felt that sometiung should be done to help in the matter of maintenance. Under previous conditions the cost of the maintenance of a road fell on the ratepayers m the district through which tho road ran. The highways scheme was supported by motorists, who would find most of the money necessary to pay one-third of the cost of maintenance, and one-half of the cost of construction, but this was only in respect of about one-tenth of the length of roads maintained by counties and road boards. "City people might ask themselves," *lr Bruce went on to say, "how many motors would bo used in the city if their use was confined to the boundaries of the city and were not allowed to use main roads? The principal cause of the extra expenditure on the upkeep of roads is through traffic—not local traffic; in other words, intercommunication between city and city, or one large centre to another. Motorists have recognised this as the chief cause of the higher cost of road maintenance and havo voluntarily agreed to pay their quota, the' one-third of the cos't of maintenance, and also to find the money for reconstruction by means of the tyre tax, which will provide the interest and sinking fund in respect of loans for rond reconstruction works. When these things arc taken into consideration the cities, in my opinion, are not called upon to pay more than their quota. If they are content to carry on, and the schemo is found to work successfully, they will automatically come in and participate as far as they can reasonably expect; but to force the matter just now would, in my opinion, be disastrous. The cities loso none of the fees that they are getting at present and if the proposals outlined in respect of heavy traffic arc given the effect of law —and it is recognised that the Motor Vehicles Bill is incomplete without these proposals—they will obtain a greater revenue from these sources. Mr Wynyard, who rep-' resents the motorists on the Main Highways Board, estimates that in cities, boroughs and counties, the total fees collected in the Dominion total £30,000; under tho proposed legislation this will bo increased by £120,000, making a total of £150,000. Both cities and counties will be in a better position financially because the principle underlying the proposed legislation is that the users of the roads shall contribute to their upkeep and reconstruction. Under present conditions motor lorries, except in a few instances, do not pay anything, and service cars do not pay anything owing to the difficulty of getting a bylaw that, when contested, is found to be valid. Consequently these vehicles have the free run of the reads at present; but no one will hold that they ought not to contribute something in respect of maintenance and reconstruction."

Bespecting the outline of proposed legislation affecting heavy traffic, (as e=et out in "The Press" of the 4th inst.), Mr Bruce said that the Highways Board would press for this legislation because the Board considered that it was necessary. The proposals had been discussed by the executive of the Counties' Association and had been generally approved. Some amendments had been suggested and these would be laid before the special committee* of the House, to which the Motor Vehicles Bill had been referred, by himself and Mr W. Morrison, a member of the Waitotara County Council, and by the executive of the Counties' Association.

Mr Bruce understood that the Special Committee will begin taking evidence en Tuesday next from representatives of aii those interested.

VEXED PROBLEMS. TRAFFIC CONTROL AND REVENUE. (SPECIAi TO "TEX, KHSB.") AUCKLAND, September 16. The urgent question pf the control of traffic and distribution of fees to be derived from motor vehicles, which is now engaging the attention of Parliament and.local bodies throughout the Dominion, was the subject of some comment by the Mayor (Sir James Gurtson). Sir James said that on his return, he had received a number of communications from local bodies which were .represented at the conference held in Auckland on August 27th, when the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Bill were under consideration. Of the proposals adopted at the conference they had now expressed their approval. He had also received from tie Mayor of Christehurch a series of five resolutions passed by a conference held in tho southern city, which were on the lines of those adopted by the Auckland conference. He also mentioned that copies of the Auckland proposals had been forwarded to the Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs, so that the Government was aware of the views of the majority of tho Auckland local bodies The Auckland conference had been called with the prime object of harmonising local body interests, lor some inexplicable reason there was a view abroad that there was diversity of interests between urban and rural areas, but that was really fallacious. If. a broad, comprehensive policy such as that adopted at the Auckland conference were legislated for, all interests would be safeguarded and advanced. Commenting on the (statement bytne Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. R F Bollard) that many of the proposals submitted at tho Auckland conference were not relevant to the Motor Vehicles Bill, S* J*»<* f ld «? Vi£ in" that the Motor Vehicles Bill in its provisions was deemed by local authorities to be inadequate, it followed that any matters bearing on traffic license fees or control were entirely relevant to any suggested substitute measure. !? was with! view to providing a earnr.rehensive measure to meet modern SiSons that the Auckland proposals

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were drafted. He had that morning telegraphed to tho Mayor of Wellington and other southern mayors to learn whether any further useful steps could be - taken. He thought that it could •justifiably be said in respect of the Motor Vehicles Bill that its provisions were of little practical utility to local authorities, for they did not contribute a solution toward traffic problems and the revenue question in relation to the country's needs. It would be altogether fallacious to suggest that the loeal authorities would be iu a better position under the Bill. That was not so. The fact that the financial responsibility for the construction and maintenance of roads, notwithstanding the Main Highways Board, was still largely an obligation of the local authorities, and that the Bill left that obligation there, it followed that the local authorities must be able to command tho necessary finances to meet the demand. The Bill would, however, to a very large extent destroy this ability. Objection had been raised in some quar ters to the proposed flat rate on vehicles. It should be remembered that tho Bill embodied the principle of the flat rate, and that the Auckland conference had adopted the same principle from among many alternatives, as it seemed the most workable and feasible.