ONE-SIDED RELIEF

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 48, 25 August 1931, Page 8

ONE-SIDED RELIEF

The decision of ihi; M.-iin lli^lnv.iy-, Board lo increase its inainlcnaiii-c subsidy from iho present £2 lo XI lo X.3 lo Zl will be welcomed by tlin counties which receive; tin- grealcipail of ihc subsidy money. Undoublediy the counties are in nerd of help, and this substantial additional grant should be of much assistance to them. It. is belter thai, the money should be spent now, when tho counties have difficulty in liudiug funds from rates, than (hat the Highways funds should be allowed to accumulate while the roads suffer through lack of maintenance. There is, however, another aspect of ihc: mailer which should have allenlion. Boroughs, as well as counlies, arc faced with heavy rales, which are collected with difficulty. When il has been urged that they are entitled to a share in the taxes paid by motorists which run on borough roads the only answer given by the Highways Board has been that its funds did not allow it lo do more than help the counties and the smallest boroughs. The juslice of the larger borough claims has not been disproved or even disputed. It was admitted, in fact, when the boroughs were allotted a small share of petrol lax funds. Now il seems that this plea of insufficient funds is without justification, as the funds arc strong enough to carry ihree-fourlhs of the maintenance cost of county highways. It is lime thai the boroughs looked more closely into this rural derating process which is being carried out quietly and partly at their, expense.