SEPARATE ACCOUNTS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 61, 15 March 1929, Page 8

SEPARATE ACCOUNTS

FOR NORTH AND SOUTH ISLAND

(By Telegraph.)

(Special to "The Evening Post.")

CHRISTCHUBCH, This Day.

"I can toll you quite definitely—and I want you to note thii—that in the Highways Board's account the funds of thd North and South Islands have been kept quite separate, and at no time has there been a transfer of money from the South to the North," said Mr. C. J. Talbot, South Island representative on the board at the South Island Counties Conference yesterday.' Mr. Talbot said responsible men still kept asking him if the two accounts were really boing kept separate, and it was still a common conception that the transfer of money from the maintenance to the construction account had teen a transfer of money *rom the south to the north. "I cannot help thinking," continued Mr. Talbot, "that the constant agitation for a separate board for the South Island was a dig at me." Cries of "No."

"Well, I feel keenly about'.tho agitation,'' added Mr. Talbot. He said' he could assure then) that in the deliberations of the board there was no question of North or South Island, Their hands had been tied, by the, provisions of the Act, sofar.as subsidies were concerned. They had been giving 60 per cent, of the subsidies for maintenance,iu the North Island, and 65 in the South. In construction tho percentages of subsidies were given 65 in the North Island and 78 in the South. Moreover, the board was maintaining 100 miles more of free road in the .South Island than in the North. He could say that the board had just considered giving the South Island more secondary highways as a means of spending tho so-called "nest-egg"—£37o,ooo last year—and satisfying some of the criticism levelled against the board. They should remember that much of this money had accumulated in the fund before the board came properly into operation. Another feature was the unprecedented increase of motor vehicles in the country during the past few years. A motion of appreciation and thanks was accorded Air. Talbot for the services ho had rendered while ''on the board.