MAIN HIGHWAYS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18307, 14 February 1925, Page 14

MAIN HIGHWAYS.

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MEETING OF BOARD. MAINTENANCE SUBSIDIES

(PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.)

"WELLINGTON, February 13

■ At the Main Highways Board's monthly meeting, the statement of .accounts submitted to the Board showed that the total amount paid out by the Board'as subsidies towards the cost of construction during January ;W;is- £21,'470.':while towards the cost of Imaintenance..-.an amount of only £ioßo was paid. Maintenance is carried out ill most cases by the local authorities themselves, after which they make application to the Board's representative in the district for the Board's subsidy of oiie-thirtl, but the local authorities have teen so slow in making their claims that out of an "amount of £91,731 authorised for expenditure, only £33.715 has been applied-for and paid during the period between ■ J tine 9th, 1924. and January 31st. 1925. The failure of County Councils to take advantage of the Board's subsidy during the financial year id not viewed with favour, and in consequence the following circular has been despatched to local bodies:—The attention of the Board has been drawn to the < very small amount of money so far paid out in .some districts for maintenance. It appears that although the Main Highways Board has made a siim of approximately £175,(100 available to assist local authorities in maintaining their roads, quite a number have not thought it worth" their while to make even an application for payment of same. The simplicity of the information required as set out on' the back of form M.H.B. 13 is such that no expert knowledge is required and a minimum of work is involved, and therefore the Board cannot, understand what.is the reason th«.t prevents \oa\l authorities from submitting their pro-' posals and consequently receiving money. As ,the end of the .financial year'is Very, close, it is hoped that local authorities will make an effort to square up the matter and put in claims as much before that date as possible in order that there shall not !be a large unexpended balance standing in the books at the end of the financial year,, which wouß make it appear as-if -the amount provided by the Government for use on highways was much grea'ter than what was necessary, and might result in a reduction thereof. This would not bo "to the advantage either of the local authorities or of .the ..highways themselves." The following is the monthly report of activities of the Board on more important works being carried out in the South. Island :

Westport - Nelson. Several small bridges are being rebuilt between Westport and Inangahua, and at Inangahua Junction a contract for a bridge has been cancelled, and the work is being continued by the Public Works Department. ~ -v r .... Christchureh-Blenheim. —The cylinders of the Clarence' Eiver bridge'at'Pier B are not yet quite completed,'but work at Pier Cis in hand. Most- of the materials for the superstructure are on the ground and are being* worked' up. On the coast • road between Kaikoura and the Conway a considerable amount of concrete work is being made to protect the road from the erosion of the sea. In spite of pressure by the Board, the Kaikoura County Council has not yet made a move to restore\the Hapuku bridge approaches washed out in May, |i923. • x # . . „ Waipara-Kaikoura, via Culverden. — 'Borings have been taken at the iyiCharwell River site. Extensive flood- damwibein^Hrepairiedv-•' -Proposals' for metalling a part of the Whalesback section have also been received.

General.—lt is regrettable that there ia little to report in connexion with operations in the South Island. Generally speaking, for the whole of the Dominion, the consensus of opinion is that during the last .six months maintenance of roads that have been declared main highways has' unproved in "character. - Attention' has been given to constant grading and dragging of gravel roads in- particular,- and the results have been , almost -invariably satisfactory. Considerable interest is. being instanced in the f ortheomirig,'.experimental lengths in the'' Wellington district. The proposed • heavy.. traffic: regulations have been widely discussed, especially'the allocation of the'proceeds of licenses, and the question is frequently raised why the Government does not by loan institute a fund., from which local bodies could provide their quotas, and thus avoid haphazard, piecemeal and .expensive local loans.