ROAD MAINTENANCE

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 223, 20 June 1925, Page 8

ROAD MAINTENANCE

LESSONS FROM ABROAD HIGHWAY BOARD MEMBER’S IMPRESSIONS , —_ — ** PROBLEM OF FINANCE “For some years the people of the Dominion have been accustomed tohearing from numbers of JwManfa who have visited England and the United States o- the Preat advance in modern highway construction in those countrFesT it has always occurred to me that while we have been told of the great activity displayed anti.the wonderful results which have been obtained in highway construction in those countries, there has been a great dearth of information as to how . the work has beenfinanced, and how the responsibilities have chstnbutod The above statement was made by Mi. A. E. Jull, piesicient of the New Zealand Counties’ Association, and m embei of the Main Highways Board, in reporting to the boa d yesterday upon observations made during a recent woild tour,

“At the outset of our improved highway work in New Zealand,” stated Mr. lull “it is verv desirable that we should first of all see that the financial foundation is on a sound and equitable basis; that it does not impose an unbearable burden upon the people who have to find the money. . . ..In my opinton if the share of the liability for road improvement and maintenance . which is placed on the rural communities in tins country had been placed on the rural communities of the United States tte road users of that country would not have had the highway improvement they are enjoying to-day. At the same time I am bound to say that, generally speaking, the rural community of the United States and of Canada are not in as pood a position to bear the same financial load as those in this Dominion.

Maintenance the Greatest Problem. “To indicate one source of revenue which ithe Federal Government receives, a war tax of 5 per cent, on sales of motors and accessories, among other kinds of merchandise, has been imposed, and is still in force, and the motor trade has contributed by this direct tax to the Federal Government an amount more than double the amount which the Federal Government is returning to the States by way of Federal aid for roads. The Federal Government does not contribute to maintenance, nor does it specify the material of which the road is to be constructed, but 15,000 dollars a mile is the limit of Federal aid Mv Washington authority, while stating that no contribution, from the Federal Government was given for rnainte'nance, admitted that maintenance of the roads was the greatest problem of the future, and that traffic has overtaken the type of roads constructed, and was at present more than such roads will bear. . . “No road expenditure is incurred in the cities bv the county authorities, but all cities have to pay county road rates just at the same rates as do the rural ratepavers. To show how this works out, we will take the Erie County in New York State. This county includes the large city of Buffalo. lhe county assessment is about £200,000,000, and because of this fortunate position the Erie County has been able to construct 1900 miles of hard surfaced roads apart from State highwavs. The surfacing varies from wa-ter-bound macadam to concrete. Effect of Taxation on British Cars. “Summarising my impressions, I think the motor users- in Great Britain are taxed at a very high rate, and yet the local authorities are hard put to it to provide their contribution towards road construction and maintenance. The taxation on the horse power of cars makes the pleasure car pay dis-.

proportionately. as compared with the commercial vehicle. “The present svstem undoubted? influences British cur manufacturers to keep down the horse-power of although it certainly has enabled the But ish maker to successfully compete against the cheap American cars like the Ford, the annual license / ee for which is £2l. 1 saw in the States literally thousands of used Fords, wh ch could be bought for one-half of the cost of the annual tax on such a car imposed in Great Britain. “In view of the enormous mileage oi roads in Great Britain and the huge outlav for straightening and widening important roads, and in some cases making completely new roads to avoid narrow' approaches to the various cities, 1 cannot see hoiv motor taxation is to be [reduced; it may be varied, but apparently the present annual revenue ot some fourteen millions from motor taxation is required. “In the United States and Canada the most interesting factor in taxation for road construction is the taxation of the cities for county roads and the general recognition of the equity of taxation of the road user. “I am decidedly of opinion that the gasoline or petrol tax is the most equitable form of taxation, although a. comnarativelv small tax on each car in addition is the usual practice, and T have no fault to find with that practice. Gravel Roads. “I am opinion that where reasonably good gravel is obtainable many of our New' Zealand main highways can still be most economically and efficiently maintained with such surfacing. I must add that efficient maintenance means the keeping of the road con- • tinuously up to’ the standard adopted, in other words, ‘Eternal vigilance is > the price of good road maintenance.’ 1 I certainly feel that in many cases I where we in New Zealand are consider- | ing paving certain roads with a. most I expensive surface, the traffic tallies on • some of these roads would not in the j States or Canada be considered sufficient to warrant anything like such expenditure. Jt is unfortunate, however, that our road costs for construction and maintenance must for many years be ' disproportionate to the traffic. "When we sec the enormous motor j traffic in America and its equally enormous potential taxing power, we can understand now they can continue the road construction programmes which would in cur sparsely populated Dominion be quite beyond our resources, vet there are in the States thousands of miles of main highways without even a gravel sunace. A final word is, that while in many States iiWAmcrica loans have been raised for road construction, and In- some States such a method still obtains, the tendency is to do all sucn work out of revenue entirely.”