NORMAL YEAR.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20224, 30 April 1931, Page 13

NORMAL YEAR.

expenditure of highways FUNDS. MR WYNYARD QUOTES FIGURES. Some informative figures illustrative of tho work of the Main Highways Board were given at a conference of local bodies, called by the Canterbury Progress League, yesterday, by Mr M. H. Wynyard, motorists' representative on the Board. Mr Wynyard stated that the Board would be able to finance a normal programme of roading this year. Maintenance and Revenue. Mr Wynyard said that as the figures of the Board's operations for tho year had yet to go before tho Government, it would not be proper to go into details •of tho Board's finances, but he would give a general outline of the business done. Owing to the prevailing depression the local bodies had spent about £IOO,OOO less on maintenance last year than had been estimated. In the construction account £20,000 had not been applied for, and at tho end of the year the Board found that it had about £300,000 to tho credit of the revenue account. The Board must have a credit balance of £250,000, as it could not have an overdraft. Tho construction fund would be loss than the estimate. The Board anticipated that there would be about £200,000 less in the construction account than was available last year. South Island Highways. . Mr Wynyard said that of the total number of cars in the Dominion (33.04 per cent, were in the Nortli Island and 36.16 per cent, in the South Island. Of the petrol consumption of the Dominion the North Island accounted for 67 per cent, and the South Island for 33 per cent. The proportion of the expenditure in the North Island on construction was 57.5 per cent, and in the South Island 42.5 per cent., and in regard to maintenance the figures were: North Island 59 per. cent., South. Island 41 per cent. Mr Wynyard claimed that the figures he had quoted showed that relatively more money was spent in the South Island than in the North. The chairman said that he took it that' the Board was prepared to finance a normal programme this £oar. Mr Wynyard: Yes, except that there will be about £200,000 less in the construction fund.