ROAD BOARD SUBSIDIES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 477, 8 April 1909, Page 8

ROAD BOARD SUBSIDIES.

MATERIALLY REDUQED. "A MOST SERIOUS BLOW." (BT TELEGRAPH.—SriCIAf. CORRRSPONDRNT.) Auckland, April 7. A number of the road boards in various parts of Auckland province have lately been finding put that their. Government subsidies have teen materially reduced this year. At the conclusion of his Buekland speech, Mr. Massey was asked the reason for this, and he said the matter was one of considerable importance to many districts throughout. !tho Dominion. In Pukekohe 'West the subsidy wJs^Muced 0 from 5 £250 to £17S: ; " M'fio brouble. arose through an amendment in the last Appropriation Bill. Just as last session was concluding, the Primo Minister moved the-Appropriation Bill, and stated that it was similar to previous ones, except for an inconsequential amendment in Clause 9. As was usual in such cases, the House accepted the statement in good faith, but Parliament was misled by Sir Joseph Ward because, instead of the amendment being inconsequential, it was really a heavy blow to the finance of road boards. Naturally, when a responsible Minister of the Crown told tho House the Bill was the ordinary thing, but for an inconsequential alteration, tho House would believe it, and he (Mr. Massey) hoped +hat Sir Joseph Ward did not himself realise the importance of tho matter when making the statement. Ead Parliament realised it the amendment would never have been , ' allowed. The chairman of the meeting (Mr. E. Allen) stated that in Pukekohe East also the subsidy was reduced from £250 to £178, and out of the £178 the road board had to take £105 or £110 for charitable aid. Road boards had an immense amount of work to do with very little money, and the reduction of subsidy was a most serious blow.