MAIN HIGHWAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 63, 11 September 1943, Page 8

MAIN HIGHWAY

INCREASING DAMAGE

A FINANCIAL PROBLEM

In the "Evening Post" of August 7 the Minister of Public Works (Mr. Semple), in reply to a question, is reported to have said that the wear and tear on main highways was phenomenal and that the expenditure allocated for public works was ,not nearly enough to deal with it. He added that he understood that the War Cabinet had voted £60,000 for extra maintenance of the main highways, but the Minister stated that this would not touch the problem. He also said that the wear and tear had gone beyond maintenance in some parts of the Dominion, the base of the roads having been chopped to pieces. This, said Mr. E. A. Batt, chairman of the council of the Automobile Association, today, was a serious admission for the Minister to make, but as a matter of fact it confirmed what road users had been reporting, and it was not • surprising that the Minister admitted the inadequacy of £60,000 for extra maintenance when it was pointed out that over the whole highway system of 12,000 miles this represented only £5 a mile. "I think it will be universally admitted," said Mr. Batt, "that our paved highways are one of the most valuable assets that we possess, and therefore it should take first place in the plans of the Government for post-war construction. The cost of our highways has been enormous, and it will be equally costly when they have to be practically reconstructed as a result of reduced maintenance and excessive wear and tear, principally caused, as the Minister states, by the weight and volume of military traffic.

CONCERN OF HIGHWAYS BOARD

"The annual report of the Main Highways Board divulges the concern of the board in the following ; statement: —

" 'There is a considerable leeway to make up in respect of bridge renewals, including many large structures which have been given extended life at the expense of high maintenance costs. The reconstruction of these bridges will have to be undertaken, just as soon as man-power and materials can be made available. The deterioration of surfaces now proceeding is evidenced by the amount of patching required in various districts, and this cannot be considered a satisfactory form of maintenance: A large part of this work is undoubtedly due to' military traffic, but with a return to anything approchirig normal conditions the usual traffic would have much the same effect, and, of course, a greater mileage would be involved.'

"The report then proceeds to emphasise that the cost of bituminous road-binders has more than doubled during the past three years. Other costs have also advanced considerably; the net'result of which is that sealing work can only be done to about half the former extent on a' fixed appropriation. The report also emphasises that 'the Hoard's revenue for the year, was riot sufficient to cover the cost of maintenance and fixed charges, and a further decrease in revenue is expected during the current year.' It also states that 'the position should not be allowed to continue, and some provision should be made whereby it will not be necessary to borrow capital funds for expenditure on maintenance works.' .

DIVERSION OF PETROL TAX.

''Apparently the Main Highways Board has not received from petrol tax the amount of money required for normal maintenance, and ,1 am unaware of the Government having made any provision whatever to build up a fund for the reconstruction and general reconditioning of the main highways. It would therefore appear that when this work is commenced the Main Highways Board will have to raise further loans or do the best they can with current revenue from year, to year, which; appears, tcr: explain, .their reference to the increased costfand the progressive deterioration over a longer period of reconstruction. In a statement published in the "Evening Post" of July 31, I drew attention to the fact that the bulk of motor vehicle taxation had -been diverted from Main Highways purposes and used through the Consolidated Fund for the relief of general taxation. The ; position- the Main' Highway's Board finds the, roads in today appears to be the climax to Government policy; •since., the year 1931, of appropriating large sums annually from the petrol tax to bolster up the Consolidated Fund."

EMPIRE COUNCIL

MR. FRASER'S ATTITUDE

P.A. CHRISTCHURCH, September 9. "I am strongly in favour of any scheme which will bring .the-Domin-ions into closer consultation and cooperation with the United Kingdom, and each other," said the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser), commenting on a proposal by the Australian Prime Minister (Mr. Curtin) for the formation after the war of -a' permanent Empire council for the purposse of collaborating on post-war policy., "That co-operation is the very clear intention of Mr. Curtin's proposal, and it will receive from the Government of New Zealand the very careful and friendly examination to which it is entitled," continued Mr. Fraser, "and coming from the Prime Minister of Australia just after he has received such an overwhelming vote of confidence from the people of the Commonwealth it is of even greater importance than if made under different circumstances." •''■••

There were at the present time, of course, daily consultations with Britain on all matters of British Commonwealth, and world war importance, added Mr. Fraser, and co-operation between the countries, of the British Commonwealth and the Empire had been v 4 ery close, effective, and beneficial during the war period.

"If a scheme for providing a workable basis for a permanent British Commonwealth organisatidn consistent with the sovereign .status of the Dominions is put forward it will be welcomed by New Zealand," concluded Mr. Fraser. :