LAST MEETING

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 75, 29 March 1940, Page 9

LAST MEETING

C. AND S. HIGHWAYS BOARD

CREDIT BALANCES

ADJUSTMENT PLAN

The method of adjustment of variations in expenditure when related to the contributions made and Government subsidies received respectively by the component local authorities of the City and. Suburban Highways Board was settled at the final meeting of the board'today. ; The Mayor (Mr. T...C; A. Hislop)' presided; and there were present the Mayors, of Lower Hutt arid Petone (Messrs. J. W, Andrews and G- London) and Messrs.. J. B. Yaldwyh' (Hutt County), H. G. Mexted (Makara County), E. Palliser (Wellington Automobile Club), A. J- Curtis {General Carriers), Councillors W- Appleton, A. ,Black, P. M. Butler, C- H. Chapman, and L. McKenzie (City Council), and Councillor S, G. Shearer (Eastbourne Borough Council). It was necessary, before March 31, that the board should settle the formula j by which the credit • balances at that date in the. maintenance accounts were to be distributed,'as authorised by the; Hutt Road Act, wrote the Town Clerk (Mr. E. P. Norman).. The exact amount of- the balances would not be known for some time after March 31,; therefore the exact amounts to be distributed to the'local bodies could not^ be stated now, but'the method of calculation could be embodied in resolution^ to enable the amounts to be calculated when the final balances were, known. ■ The balance in the Hutt Road Main-; tenance Account, if any, should be \ distributed amongst ..the local authorities in the proportions in which they contributed. ••.•■-.- ■. ■■, ■.■ , -■. ■ ..'. ■ '.MAINTENANCE ACCOUNT. ■ Regarding" the General; Maintenance J Account the board had committed it-! self to two large items of expenditure ] which it knew could not be completed] by March 31. These were the improved lighting of the Hutt Road and the pro- -j vision of a central barrier, and they were estimated to cost £.2400 and £ 1800 respectively. The board should j therefore resolve that the finished.costs] of these two works should be the first payment made from the balance of this account, and should be made to the Wellington City Council, which was carrying out the work. The next item, continued the" letter, was the claim made by the Makara County for a rebate amounting to £296 13s 4d, at the rate of £100 per mile for 1.78 miles of the Ngahauranga Gorge Road closed during the.reconstruction. The road was closed for one :-. and a quarter years, . and at the scheduled rate £222 10s- was payable by' the county, and the; board, at its February meeting, had decided to make a refund on that basis if funds' were available. The county, however, also claimed for the. five months' period from the reopening of the gorge road until March 31. As the new road replaced the old section during that period he cotild not see why the county had any moral or other claim for the extra £74 claimed. A statement should be prepared after the completion of all works showing the contributions and subsidies relating to roads in each authority's area, the expenditure- .on- those- .roads,... and the amount by which the- contributions had been underspent or overspent in each area. If the balance was more than sufficient to meet the - Makara County's claim in full, the remainder of the cash balance remained-to be distributed. ~ ~.- „-. "Some of the local!authorities will have had more money spent on their roads over the whole period since April,"; 1924, than has .^accrued from their own 'contributions arid it om Government subsidies," continued th letter, "and I consider that those authorities : should riot partake in any refund. It is recommended therefore that -the 'reduced ' balance' should be refunded to those; local-authorities' who; have had less'money'spent on their roads than has accrued from their contributions and Government subsidies, " and that the amount refunded •to each should be such that it bears same ratio to. the total 'reduced balance' as the uhder-expenditure on -its roads bears' to the total "under-expenditur-e." CLAIM WITHDRAWN. " Mr. Mexted,- for^ the Makara County Council, agreed to withdraw the claim for the five months since the opening of the Gorge Road. The.-chairman moved-that money should be refunded to the bodies in the areas, which have: had less spent in their interests than, their proportion of contributions, •„'. and the -■ resolution was carried. ... ' ■ ■.■.-■.. .. .' . It was mentioned that- arrangements' had been made -with the Main. High- / ways Board to take-over a number of. the men employed by the, City and. Suburban Board, and that the City Engineer would take over those men • from the City and Suburban"'Highways Board who were:.on the. city's superannuation ' list. V . ' COMPLIMENTARY REFERENCES. In view of the fact that it was the last meeting before the board ceased to exist as a statutory body, Mr. Hislop expressed ■ his personal appreciation. _ahd that of his City • Council , coir leagues of the-co-operation shown by all members of the board in the work they had done. Relationships had been'most cordial, and as a body they had been able to do a most useful work.' He also appreciated the work done by the officers: and\ staff from the commencement of the .work. Mr. Andrews said that Mr.- Hislop had been continuously fair as chairman, while.'-.the officers ■ had paid scrupulous. attention to the details of their work. Mr. Curtis, .as one. of the earliest members, appreciated what; the board had: done for the Hutt Road. It was now a road anyone -would: b^ proud of. .. ;' .. ;:•; .... Councillor Butler thanked the officers of the board for the stand they had taken in safeguarding. the interests of the : . men in its employment ■on the termination of tlieir job. It was possible that in -working under the Main Highways Board some of the men would . receive less .wages, and he thought that. the board might make some recommendation in . T the.= matter. Mr. Hislop: Mr. Butler should see the Minister. ..--.. ■ • In answer to a question, Mr. K. E. Luke, City Engineer, said that it was not proposed to extend the central bar- j rier on the Hutt Road' south of the Tawa, Flat railway bverbridge. Everyone approaching the bridge would know that it was the commencement of the "central line. Mr. Curtis, referring to the many industries which occupied the sides of the road on the south side of the bridge and the amount of heavy traffic which had to come out into the road and turn there, thought the extension of the barrier past these industries would constitute a danger. j Mr. Palliser, 'as representing the j body which/paid for the original con-j struction out of the toll levied on it, i said that it was then paid willingly as theye were not so many sources of

taxation as today., The association of the board and the Automobile Club has been admirable, and he appreciated the manner-in which the club's suggestions had been received by the board. - : References were also made to the good .work of the original engineers who .had laid the foundations of tha present Hutt Road. ■ j