MAIN ROADS BILL

Evening Star, Issue 18052, 21 August 1922, Page 5

MAIN ROADS BILL

MINISTER’S NEW PROPOSALS, TWO BOARD SUGGESTION OBNOXIOUS.

An interesting memorandum has just been issued by the Hon. J. G. Coates, Minister of Public Works, to the delegates that attended the recent conference on highways. Ho points out that though the conference was agreed that good roads were essential, and that existing local authorities could not undertake the/work. no definite conclusions were come to. The differences arose on the one hand as between the Government view andi that of the local body representatives as to control, classification, and allocation, and on the other hand the motorists as to the provision of a considerable portion of the necessary additional funds by way of motor taxation. The Minister says bo is still convinced .that his Bill of last session was an effective method of dealing with what is admittedly a difficult problem. Outlining the main features of the provisions ho proposed to embody _in a Bill to be introduced during the ensuing session of Parliament, the Minister says he is against the suggestion of a board 1 of control for each island, and is strongly of opinion that one small board'_ will best servo requirements, and he will propose that the board consists of chairman 'to bo appointed by the Government, one member, representing the Public Works Department, one member representing local governing bodies to be appointed on the recommendation of the Counties Association Executive, and' ono member representing motor interests, the method of his nomination to bo decided, by the interests concerned. It may, he says, be necessary to later set up a special organisation; but in the meantime the organisation of the Public Works Department and the local bodies be used. SPENDING THE MONEY.

Iu order to give some consideration to enterprising counties who have spent money in first-class construction, the Minister proposes to have the road surface valued, and pay to the local! bodies concerned one-third of the cost of interest and sinking fund on the eums spent in permanent improvement of any roads that come under the board’s jurisdiction after classification. The Minister reckons that there will be between 2,000 and 2,500 miles of “primary” roads and 6,500 miles of “secondary'” roads. It would not bo possible at present to extend to these secondary roads the scheme of paying for past work done. The Minister in his memorandfim goes into details concerning the expenditure of the board’s revenge, the most important part being that where he says that if progress were dependent on revenue it would bo a very long period before substantial improvement was obtained, and it seemed necessary to borrow definitely for road purposes. The estimated cost of bringing 2,000 miles of the primary roads up to first-class standard was something over £3,000,000. The Minister realised that local bodies wanted some assistance while the intended permanent improvements were being carried out, and he proposed £60,000 should be devoted to that purpose. In the course of some further explanatory paragraphs, the Minister says: “It might appear as though the limits of permanent improvement would be reached with the spending of a £3,000,000 loan on up-to-date road surfacing and permanent improvements, but such is not the case. The number of motor vehicles is constantly increasing—so far at a much greater rate than the population. Therefore this factor, in common with the general increase of wealth throughout the dominion, will result in an ever-increasing amount of money being available from the sources indicated, so that by the time the first loan is raised and expended the way will bo clear for the raising of further loan moneys.” CLASSIFICATION. Last session’s Bill proposed that certain main arterial roads should be dealt with, but the county delegates at the conference introduced the term “main traffic roads,” which would have meant the inclusion of perhaps several roads in each county. That would have meant “ oountyising" the allocation of expenditure, and that would not have been any better than the present system. The amount of work the

board oould do would be regulated by its funds, so it was essential that the relative importance of the roads should bo determined. Ho would propose that _in tho meantime the board divide roads into “primary,” “secondary,” and the balance —tho last mentioned not concerning the board, as it would not have to deal with them. Tho primary roads would be of such extent as it was clearly within tho board’s ability to finance. The secondary roads would bo such additional main traffic roads as the board could bo reasonably expected to deal with, cither immediately or as time went on, and ways and moans increased. finance;

Tho Minister proposes, as he did in tfie main Bill, to divide finance into capital or loan moneys and revenue moneys. Tho Government would for the time ’being (and probably for many years to come) make available an amount equivalent to the votes for individual roads, a proportion of tho usual Consolidated Fund vote for road maintenance. Tho taxation on motor tyres would, the Customs Department considered, yield £150,000 per annum. Motor taxationregistration and license fees—was a vexed question, and probably represented tho difference between tho success and failure of tho scheme. Motorists at first were inclined to take the view that the tyre tax was enough, but lie understood subsequently that they were agreeable to further taxation, but particularly wanted ono taxing authority only, and preferred that it should bo the Government, and not local bodies. On tho basis of an annual license fee of £3 for a private car and £lO for a lorry, it was estimated that £150,000 would be available from this source. That would give the board an annual revenue of: Tyre tax, £150,000; motor license fees (or some other source of revenue), £150,000; grant from Consolidated Fund, £55,000; grant from Public Works Fund, £200,000; total, £535,000. In addition, assuming that they raised a loan of £3,000,000, at the rate of £300,000 a year, they would have that amount, less tho interest.