MAIN HIGHWAYS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18507, 8 October 1925, Page 8

MAIN HIGHWAYS.

LEAGUE AND BOARD. "TRYING TO BURST SHOW UP." The Main Highways Act camo in for some criticism at last opening's meeting of the executive of the Canterbury Progress League, ibnt it had a' staunch defender in Mr J. D. Bruce. South Island member of the Main Highways Board, who was present ;by invitation. Condemnation of Policy. Condemnation of the policy of the Board was contained in a report reviewing its attitude towards the Progress League an-J South Island local bodies. The report stated:—The amendments to the Main Highways Art ajv pear to fall short of the requirements of the southern local bodies and do not fully meet tho difficulties encountered in the first year's operations of the scheme. In cases where sections of the- main highways serve as "bottle-necks' ; through which a steady volume of heavy traffic must pass, a 50 per cent, subsidy for maintenance is totally inadequate, and absurdly disproportionate to the amount of wear and tear caused by traffic foreign to the local authority charged with tho responsibility of maintaining tho highway. The omission of provision for a fair and reasonable allocation of revenue from license fees, and tyro tax in tho Amendment Act is probably tho most serious objection the southern local bodies will have n<rainst the Act.

Like Mr Coates, both Mr Furkcrt. the chairman, and Mr J. D. Bruce, tho only South Island member of the Board, seem to regard tho CantcrburyyProgress League as hostile to tho Board. __ Tho League has so far done nothing -whatever to Varrant such an assumption. It seems clear that the principle that the" North Island must receive three to five times as much as the South Island is going to be made effectivo in tho domain of Main Highways, as in every other avenue of public expenditure. < <Many Mis-statements.''

Mr Bruce said the report contained many mis-statements. The Board had given consideration to the report of the. League's last meeting. As one living in the south, he could not say that one reasonable request from this island had been refused. Why not give the Board a fair chance? It was foolish to" try to burst the show up after onljc.a year's operation. Information had not been refused to the Progress League, but the Board did not have the information to give : its organiser a balance-sheet of every district council in New Zealand. He was assured that this information had been sought only for the purpose of making more trouble. There was no earthly reason why exception should be taken to the Board's failure to give particulars »of expenditure of which it did not possess information. He appealed to tho members of the League not to content themselves with criticism, of the Act, but to devise something better.

Some of the local bodies in the north were raising additional revenue by an increase in rates, and obtaining a subsidy from tho Board, and he would recommend action of a nature similar to. this to the South Island bodies. 111-considered criticism at the present time would do a great deal or harm. One of the district councils doing excellent work and operating in harmony with the spirit of the Act was No." 15 Council. The Board would visit Christchurch next month and the whole question would be investigated. Grievances could then be ventilated/ ' A friendly Attitude. Mr J. E. Straehan said the attitude of the Main Highways Board to the South Island.was friendly rather thm the opposite. Ho said that whereas the local bodies in the North Island had spent more than the Board, in the South Island the Board hadl spent considerably more than tho local bodies. He appealed for a more helpful attitude towards those cntrustec? with the administration of the Act. The League had made itself unnecessarily unpopular with the authorities in Wellington. Mr G. T. Mulcock said the removal of a great deal of friction would result from tho increase of the subsidy for maintenance to 50 per cent. ,Mr G., Shipley said the amount of maintenance money granted to local bodies should be "decided by the proportion; of through traffic in the areas under their jurisdiction. Where League Failed. Mr Y. W. Johnston said the League had failed in its duty wheu the Main Highways Bill was being prepared, in declining to co-operate with bodies like the Automobile Association in making suggestions for knocking it into shapu. He was satisfied to rely upon the Prime Minister and the personnel of the Main Highways Board. Finally the discussion was adjourned, pending the ajrival of tho members of the Bdard. A suggestion in" favour of sending the report to the Board for consideration was opposed, and it was decided to. circulate it among members. The chairman denied that it was the wish of the League "to burst up the whole show" before the Highways Board was able to function properly.