ROADS FUND.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18461, 15 August 1925, Page 12

ROADS FUND.

"PRETTY LARGE PILE." ► bigger subsidies asked. NORTH V. SOUTH. (SPECIAL TO "THE PRESS. - ') WELLINGTON, August 1-4. When the Estimates were being considered bv the House of Representatives this afternoon, a general discussion took place on the question of the maintenance and repair of roads. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Forbes, asked if more money was to be granted to local bodies to enable tlieni to provide better roads. He wished to know particularly if the dispute between the local bodies and the Highways Board could be fixed up. He asked' also if something could be done to restore the Hapuku bridge, on the south road from ulenheim, which had been down for a couple of years. The Hon. D. Buddo (Kaiapoi) doubted if sufficient money had been allowed the Highways Board. In the south the cry was for better roads. Some roads had become almost dangerous, and there was little but the foundation left. Mr J. McCombs (Lyttelton) supported Mr Buddo, and expressed the opinion ..that more latitude should be given to the Highways Board in the proportion it was allowed to find. He did not know that we should allow local bodies to borrow for read construction, and certainly not for maintenance. Increase the Subsidy. Seeing that the income from the tax on tyres was in excess of anticipation of £157,000 per year, Mr It. Masters (Stratford) thought the subsidy to local bodies might be increased to at least £ for £ for maintenance work. He agreed that it was wrong for local bodies to borrow for maintenance work, but it was essential in certain cases in the North Island for the local authority to borrow for construction work. Greater consideration should be given to small boroughs through which main highways passed. They should be placed at least on an equal footing with the County Councils. Fund Should fee Conserved. The Prime Minister said it was certain the bridge work in the south which had been mentioned this afternoon would have to be done, and there could be adjustments afterwards if they were necessary. As to roads, the local bodies in the North Island were prepared to find a good deal more money than wero those in the South Island. Either they had better roads in the south, or did not feel the same need for raising money for roading. Mr J. Edie (Clutha): Much of the good roadimg was done years ago. The Prime Minister: no doubt tho old Scottish ideas did a lot, but Nature also has been kind to tho South Island, in that she has provided good metal within easy transport of tho roads. An amendment of the Highways Act would go in tho direction of making a* larger contribution than one-third, perhaps up to £ for £ for maintenance', and he thought it would be impracticable to take every town in New Zealand and say the Highways Board should contribute towards it immediately. It would be possible to run the highways account by allowing those concerned with it to reach out too far in the beginning He believed that, if built up strongly the account would he of great service to settlers in the future. South Moved Slowly. Mr Horn urged that the South Island , should get the money belonging to it now. so that it could be spent under supenvision. ' Then they could raise loans for future years. Otherwise they would be two years behind for the next twenty years. He unged that in the case of towns that had main roads going through them they should have .the same treatment in respect to subsidies as main roads had. The Hon. A. D. McLeod (Minister of Lands) said the South Island hacl moved very, slowly in this matter —more slowly than was justified. It was not fair .of them to blame the Board or the Governments The South had had equal opportunities with the North Island, and would have equal opportunity in the future. There had, no doubt, been a feeling that the fund was not going to be a big thing, and that it. was not worth bothering about. Now it amounted to a pretty largo pile, and they were reaching after it. He warned thorn that the fund would soon be knocked to pieces if it was not watched carefully and conserved. Tho South Island counties haxl -not donejhialf as much as the North Island counties had done, even to get mud roads. Mr Jio Edie objected to making settJers contribute to roads running parallel to railways. The Government were now playing into the hands of the motor-buses. He did not object to a 1 highway from the end of a railway, but 1 he did object to a road running beside , a railway. ' The vote was passed. 1