ROADING POLICY

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 270, 11 August 1938, Page 13

ROADING POLICY

Mr. Semple Criticises “The Dominion”

THE FACTS The Minister of Public Works and Transport, Hou. R. Semple, stated yesterday that he wished, in the interests of the public, to refer to the leading article which appeared^in “The Dominion” on August 2 and which concluded : "The country . . . should not be rushed into the spending of great sums annually, converting our highways into luxury roads, in the mistaken belief that the expenditure is warranted by ensuring a corresponding measure of road safety.”

“This statement,” said Mr. Semple, “knowingly and grossly misrepresented the Government’s road policy. Road safety is an important factor in the new- roading policy, but savings in time, distance and operating costs of motor vehicles and the general development of the motor industry are also factors of the greatest importance to the public, as well as to industry and trade generally. They have all been carefully taken into account in the Government’s roading policy. “The report of the British delegation to Germany last year, which comprised members of both Houses of the British Parliament, members of counties and county surveyors, and professional men associated W'ith the technicalities of road construction and transport operation, states that the delegation found that the motorways which they investigated in Germany ‘secured the maximum safety of movement and freedom of traffic flow.’ In the recommendations of the delegation to the British Government we find the following:— “ ‘The delegation, in the*. light of its own knowledge and experience of road conditions in this country (namely, Britain), regard it as an urgent requirement that existing roads, according to their category and traffic value, should be systematically improved and reconditioned and should have embodied in such improvements all features which make for increased safety and service for present and future traffic. “ ‘Such an augmented road system would improve traffic -conditions upon existing highways and so relieve congestion as to reduce appreciably the toll of road accidents.’ Net Saving to Community. “So much for the road safety aspect of the matter,” said Mr. Semple. “During the last three years, 700 miles of main highways, which carry on the average 500 vehicles a day, have been reconstructed and provided with dustless surfaces, at an estimated cost of £2,100,000. Taking into account interest and sinking fund charges, road maintenance costs, and the operating costs of motor-vehicles, the result is a net saving to the community of at least £200,000 per annum.

“To take the particular case of the highway between Paremata and Paekakariki, whieh is at present under construction, the new route will be 3} miles shorter than the present one, will climb only 280 feet instead of 800, and will mean a saving in time of from 15 to 20 minutes on the journey. The estimated annual capital charges for the new route will amount to approximately £24,000, and the annual saving in motor vehicle operating costs on the present volume of traffic ■will amount to £29,000. It is expected that there will be a considerable increase in traffic over the new route, which will mean increased annual savings to the community. Over the last three years, the traffic over this section has increased by 50 per cent. Would ‘The Dominion’ call this a ‘luxury’ road? “I challenge the editor of ‘The Dominion’ to name the ‘luxury’ roads be had in mind when he wrote this article. Is he expressing the considered policy of the Opposition, and seeking to perpetuate the patch-work policy of road construction which is condemned in every country in the civilised world? Does the editor forget that the tremendous Increase in motor transport demands better roads in the interest.? of the development of industry and safe and efficient transport for the motoring public? Demands of the Future. “Does the editor, and those he speaks for, realise that the very basis of a safe and efficient transport system is an up-to-date roading system whieh will not only serve the needs of to-day but will meet the ever-increasing demands of the future? Does he realise that the people of New Zealand are

spending £30,000,000 per annum in the operation of motor vehicles, and that the country has sunk £148,000,000 in its road transport system? Does be realise that the traffic on our roads has increased by the amazing figure of 50 per cent, in the last three years? “With these figures in front 6f a responsible Minister, how can he, in the interests of efficiency and public safely, pursue a worn-out and comic opera patchwork system on our highways and byways, which, if persisted in, will decrease our efficiency on the roads and increase the tragedies on them? “If the editor can square his conscience with these facts and give me some logical criticism instead of unjustifiable criticism based upon political expediency, 1 should be glad to hear it from him. I am conscious- of the fact that the worst ‘pill’ I can offer him to disturb bis mental equilibrium and give him restless nights, is the fact that the policy we have adopted and the progress made have been successful beyond question and universally accepted by the people.”

[Mr. Semple's methods of controversy have been rather prominently before the public of late, and his latest effort is not likely to enhance his record. He says:— This statement knowingly and grossly misrepresented the Government’s roading policy. What statement does he here refer to? Here it is:— The country . . . should not be ruslted into spending great sums.annually, converting our highways into luxury roads, in the mistaken belief that the expenditure is warranted by ensuring a corresponding measure of road safety. This statement, he says, appeared in “The Dominion” of August 2, and “knowingly and grossly misrepresented .the Government’s roading policy.” That statement, as quoted by Mr. Semple, did not appear in "The Dominion.” It will be noted that there is a gap in Mr. Semple’s quotation of the extract from our article. Why did Mr. Semple not quote the paragraph in. lull? Why did he leave out five words? Surely not to save space? Hero is the quotation as it did appear in “The Dominion”: — The country needs good roads, but it should not be rushed into the spending of great sums annually, converting .our highways into luxury roads, in the mistaken belief that the expenditure is warranted by ensuring a corresponding measure of road safety.

Why did. Mr. Sernple omit the five words we have printed in black type and which are a vital part of our argument.' 1 They were omitted presumably because Mr. Semple, as will be seen by those who read his statement, had to create the impression that we were in favour of road improvement to meet the needs of expanding motor transport. It was necessary to omit them in order to enable him to divert attention from the issue of road accidents which our article dealt with to the question of road transport requirements generally, which had not been questioned in the article. .Did he, to use his own language, “knowingly and grossly misrepresent” our views, or was the omission of the five vital words in his quotation of our article due to a desire to save our space?]