Motor Roads.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18911, 28 January 1927, Page 10

Motor Roads.

It is clear from the comment we have so far printed that Mr A. F. Wright's article in Monday's Press has already done a great deal of good. Although some of the comment is critical—for example, that of the Secretary of the Canterbury Automobile Associationcriticism is as useful as approval if it is intelligent and honest. The explanation given by Mr IJawkes of the reluctance of South Island County Councils to apply for highways subsidies is refreshingly simple and blunt, but whatever truth it may have in certain cases, it is certainly not the whole truth in any case or the common belief of motorists—if for no other reason than because there is no longer a sharp line between motorists who live in towns and cities and county councillors who live on farms. Everyone is a motorist these days who at some time or another has had a hundred pounds, and even if it were otherwise county councillors are not so foolish as to suppose that minorities can dominate majorities. Actually of course it dra not affect Mr Wright's argument if Mr Hawkes on this point has come nearer the truth. If it were established that County Counoils are deliberately neglecting their roads, that might increase the danger of a raid on their accumulated, funds; but nothing will make the danger disappear except a full use of all the .frffds to which they axe entitled under

j tha Act. In other words it makes j very Httle difference whether County Councils have good reasons or bad ones foE sparing their ratepayers: the roads are becoming rapidly worse, and there is no reason to suppose that the Act will effect more improvements next year than it did last year and the year before. It must indeed be expected that the Act will fail more and more completely each year until, with our steadily increasing number of registrations, we have worse roads soon than wo have seen for a generation. If there is even a possibility that Mr Wright'3 proposal will help us out of this difficulty it should be earnestly, examined by all motorists, and also, and especially, by the members of nil South Island County Councils.