MAIN ROADS.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18625, 25 February 1926, Page 13

MAIN ROADS.

AUSTRALIAN SCHEME. £20,000,000 TO BE SPENT. (FBOM OUR OWH COJSBBSPQJfpSST.) , SYDNEY, February 12. In every young country like Australia or New Zealand, the problem of providing the means of transport is one of the greatest awaiting solution. With the universal use of the motor vehicle the problem of roads has betome the keenest of the larger problem of transport. Where, forty or fifty years ago, any sort of track was good enough for horse-drawn vehicles, The motor to-day can only be harnessed economically for the uso of man if the roads it travels are good. New Zealand, smaller in area than this country, can think of its own experiences with roads, especially main traffic arteries, and then realise that the problem in the large areas of Australia is ono that must occupy the best legislative, administrative, and enginering brains in the. eountry beforc it can be solved. National Policy. For the purpose • of forming a national roads policy, a conference was recently held between representatives of the"Fcderal Government and Iho ■various State Governments. The Bruce-Page Government has continually shown that it recognises the importance of good roads. The main' purpose of the conference was to settle terms on which £20,000,000. to bo made available over a iO-years period by the Commonwealth Government should be paid to the States. Allocation of the money to the States will be made on the basis of threefift'ns according to population and twofifths according to siz<3. Uuder this agreement New South Wales will receive £552,000 annually; Victoria, £360.000; Queensland. £376,000; South Australia, £228,000; Western Australia, £334.000; and Tasmania. £IOO,OOO. Each State will subsidise these amounts £1 for £l. Of the Commonwealth's annual share, £-jQOjOOO will conw from exist-

ing revenue sources, and the remaining £1,500,000 from new sources. The Commonwealth money and the State subsidies will be spent only on the construction and reconstruction of roads to be designated "Federal aid roads." The classes of roads covered by the plan will be main roads opening up and developing new country, trunk roads between important towns, and arterial roads carrying concentrated traffic from developmental, main, trunk, or other roads. A Federal Aid Eoads Board is to be created comprising the Federal Minister tor Works and Railways, and a .Minister from each of the States. Meeting at least once a year, tins board will approve State constructional schemes over two five-year periods. The Federal Minister for Works will have the final word in approving or rejecting any State's general plan of construction The various State constructing authorities will be responsible for the work, which will be done mostly by contract. The maintenance of the roads will be the responsibility of the States, but as practically all the States now have a main roads board this should be a task easy of fulfilment. If this maintenance is neglected, the Commonwealth may do the work and ..deduct the cost from the grants due to the State in question for the next year. Financial u Catch." Most of the States have an inkling that there is some "catch" in the financial part of the proposals, but probably any doubts on this point will be overcome. The whole proposals will 1)0 the subject of an agreement between the Commonwealth and State Government, to be ratified by the Parliaments concerned. The point that is most disturbing the public mind \a ' from which direction . the Commonwealth Government is going to obtain the £1,500,000 which must be raised each year lr»n "new sources of reAccording to every indication, this will come from a tax on petrol. That, in turn, means dearer petrol. Since a large proportion of Australia's adult population is concerned with motor transport, either for commerce or pleasure, a tax on petrol is sure to be the subject of continent-wide protests. Thus a conference of the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria, sitting at the same time as the other I conference, decided to oppose any further burdens being placed on motorists unless all other road users contribute in proportion to the use of the blah- i