FOR BETTER ROADS

Evening Star, Issue 19772, 24 January 1928, Page 4

FOR BETTER ROADS

TOUR OF HIGHWAYS BOARD Ml BIN VISITED TO-DAY • At the Otago Motor Club rooms this morning the members of the Main Highways Board, which is at present touring the South Island, received representatives of various local bodies, who took advantage of the opportunity to express ideas which, if carried out, would, in their opinion, greatly benefit the roads of Otago. Among those present were representatives of the Otago Peninsula, Green Island, Port Chalmers, West Harbor, and a representative of the Dunedin Master Carriers’ Association. The highways party was .ompnsed of the following:—Messrs F. W- Furkert (chairman), J. Wood and J. J. Gibson (Government representatives), M. D. Wynyard (Motor Association’s representative), C. J. Talbot and E. dull (counties’ representatives), A. Tyndall (engineer), W. A. Sutherland (secretary), J. R. Marks (Otago district engineer and chairman of the District Highways Council), and A, A. Williamson (secretary). Mr A. E.' Ansell, president at the Otago Motor Club, in welcoming the board stated that Otago had the worst main highways in the South Island, and probably in New Zealand. At the end of the last financial year there wms a sum of £340,000 duo to the revenue account of the South Island. In regard to the matter of increasing subsidies, the speaker considered that the Otago motorists wore paying more heavily towards road upkeep than they should, and that. ;i was generally thought that the board Pad failed in its duty to allow such a _ state of affairs to continue. They objected to Wellington hoarding money when it was needed here. Also, those present who knew Waiknuaiti were quite aware that they carried out their road work with barrow and shovel. This seemed absurd with modern machinery. Some time ago Sir Marks and himself had formulated a scheme based on the 4 to 1 subsidy principle, but now that the petrol tax was in being the board could find some way of getting them out of their difficulties. The board should make special efforts to give Otago better roads. Local bodies would view such steps favorably, and equitable contributions would be made. He asked Mr Furkcrt if he could give information as regards the revenue money being paid to the revenue account. Referring to local roads, he said that it was desired that the Port Chalmers and the Peninsula roads should be taken over as main highways, although, of course, the absolute main roads should take precedence over any others. Then, coming to the subject of unemployment work, Mr Ansell said that motorists were sympathetic towards unemployment, but a good deal of their funds had been used to give money to the unemployed, and he considered that such money should be subscribed from a consolidated revenue. Motorists suggested that when their funds were used they should be subsidised. For every £1 paid in tax Otago had received some 8s back, the rest being hoarded up,in Wellington. They had nothing to say against the increase of tax.

Mr Scollay, representing the Port Chalmers Borough Council, said that the board should take over the road between Dunedin and Port Chalmers. Port Chalmers would pay towards its maintenance in the same proportion as fixed by the Commission.

Mr Furkert, in reply, stated that, although the Otago roads were bad, they were by no means the worst in New Zealand. It was asked that the board should give increased subsidies. Tn the Waikouaiti County the ,subsidy had been £3 for £1 for the past three month.-. Everything Mr Ansell had requested was exactly what the board was carrying out. In regard to taxation he stated that since taxes were paid they became Government money. No motoring money had been used for unemployment, but for this purpose some £200,000 from the Public Works Fund was being utilised. In answer to the statement that Otago received -only 8s out of every £1 paid, bo said that if £3 were paid in, Otago received, since the board came into existence, 40 per cent, more than she bad paid. The roads here, were certainly not all they should be, and, although Otago bad received exceptional treatment, it was evident that something more was required. One body the board bad met declared it had no money, and could not raise a loan for any sort of work. Such an attitude made matters extremely difficult for the board, and placed it in a bit of a quandary. However, they would see what they could do. It was quite a workable suggestion that payments calculated to assist the board should be made. He considered that the Port Chalmers road had quite a bright chance of being accepted as a highway. He asked Mr Scollay if Port Chalmers would be prepared to pay a proportion of the cost of construction in addition to maintenance, and was answered in the affirmative.

Mr Fraser, representing West Harbor, stated the body ho represented was in favor of paying its quota towards this road, hut Port Chalmers should pay more. The road should be declared a main highway immediately. Mr H. E. Moller said that the road went as far as the Spit, and that the Harbor Board had put up a certain amount of money. Waikouaiti had refused. It was a road leading to a sea port, and his district was he tween the devil and the deep sea. The Highway Board would have to take a stand and see that ever ylocal body concerned did its share.

Mr Hallida.v brought, up the Hutt road to Wellington as a comparison, but Mr Furkert answered that the Hutt was the end of the main highway in that locality, and that local bodies were not being let out of anything. Mr Jull considered that there was no need to worry about the matter. It was just possible that the opinions expressed in Dunedin and through the Dunedin newspapers were largely responsible for the attitude taken up by contiguous bodies in respect U> the existing relation betwen the North and South Islands. It had been said that more money was being spent in the North Island. Otago was not losing any time in making its claim. The Highways Board recognised the condition of the roads here and that they required urgent attention. It was the board’s desire to bring about good conditions. “Have we treated them badly?” ho asked. Voice: “No.” “Have we treated anybody badly?” Voices: “No.” “Well, then, let us get together,” continued Mr Jull. “ We are all working for the same object, and the first thing we .want to do is to establish a friendly .atmosphere. We will then work all the more harmoniously.” Voice: “Have a go at Waikouaiti.” Mr Jull: “We’ve had a go.” The speaker continued by saying that the board had started in the face of a great deal of hostility, stirred up mainly by Press publicity, but that had to a great extent been eradicated. The board would bring about and iormulate some proposals that should prove acceptable. Mr Talbot, representing the counties, explained that although he resided in the South Island he was as ranch a representative of the North as of the South, and Mr Jull, who dwelt in the North Island, had also the oi the south very much at heart. The same spirit prevailed among other members. Mr Ansel!, in reply, stated that, in

spite of the liberal treatment received at the hands of the board. Otago still had bad roads. If money was to accumulate it was hoped that the board would spend it on roads. Mr J. M. Dickson said that if the Peninsula road was not made a main highway it should at least be a subsidiary highway. Mr M. Stevenson referred to the main road at Green Island, and said he would like the board to view the road. It would bo alarming to think it would cost £3,300 a mile. Mr Furkert replied that no road had cost less than Green Island to construct. He knew of one which had cost £II,OOO a mile. Voice: “What kind of a road?” Mr Furkert; “Concrete.” After a little subsequent discussion Mr Ansell thanked the members of the board for their visit and for the consideration they were showing the local bodies of Otago in the way of road maintenance and construction. VISIT TO PBGIEL GORDON ROAD A MAIN HIGHWAY The members of the Main Highways Board visited Mosgiel later on and were met by the Taieri County Council and the Mosgiel Borough Council. The former body entertained the visitors, after which the two councils laid their respective claims before _ them. The Chairman of the Taieri County Council (Mr James W. Blair) voiced a welcome on behalf of the county, and a similar message on behalf of the borough was delivered hv the mavor (Mr Walls). The borough’s claim was stated by the mayor, and supported by the councillors. Mr Walls said that in asking for more liberal consideration from the board as a subsidy for the upkeep of Gordon road, Mosgiel, which was a portion of the Mosgjel Junction to Middlemarch highway, ho desired to point out that on many occasions during the past few years, when the highways of the South Island had been under discussion, comparisons, not altogether favorable, had been made between these roads and those of the North Island. At such times local authorities had always raised the point that they were not receiving the amount of subsidy from the Highway Board commensurate to their keeping roads in order. When this point had been raised the board had been at pains to announce through, the Press that there was a considerable amount standing to the credit of the South Island counties waiting to be lifted whenever they were prepared to launch out a sufficient amount to entitle them to claim the subsidy and in an overt manner it has been suggested that the South Island authorities were too “Scotch” to spend money on their roads. Now' this charge, he said, certainly could not be laid against the borough, as the following figures would show. Upon the 142 chains of highway passing through the borough, the expenditure had been: 1925-26, £274 4s sd; 1926-27, £856 Is 2d; 1927 to December 31, £446 13s Id. The expenditure of these amounts had been a very serious drain upon the borough finances, and when he stated that during 1926-27 the amount spent upon tin's road constituted 50 per cent, of the whole amount available for all borough works, the board would, he felt sure, fully appreciate the drain it had been. In return the council had received from the board; 1926, £lO7 for £274 spent; 1927, " £lO5 for £556 spent. For a local body that had been “game” to spend an amount_ far in excess of what they were justified in spending in order that their road might be in such a state that at the present time it would compare favorably with almost any South island road, he claimed that the council had not received the generous consideration they had been entitled to, and that the council were led to believe they would receive. Their case certainly did not lead one to believe that there was money waiting to be lifted by those who were prepared to do their share, but made one think that they should have been better oft' had they done as some of our neighbors did--let the road get as bad as it could possibly be ? when in such case the board stepped in and generously did the work for them. He wished to stress the claim before the board that the council had always made —that they are entitled to special consideration for the reason that a very large percentage of the traffic passing over Cordon road was foreign traffic, leading u» and from Dunedin to various scenic resorts. On that account ho felt they were fully justified in asking that Mosgiel should bo paid the 3 to 1 subsidy which it was proposed to pay on highways leading to a main centre. In substantiation ot this claim lie reminded the board that No. 17 District Highways Council, fully appreciating the position, twelve months ago had forwarded a, resolution to the board that Gordon road should bfy declared a main highway In conclusion, he asked to get a definite statement from the board upon (his, the only occasion upon which -they had the pleasure of meeting them as to what amount of subsidy they were to receive upon this year’s expenditure of £446 13s Id. His council’s future course of action would to a large extend depend upon the Board’s reply to this question. In reply to the mayor’s representations the board promised to make Gordon road a main highway. This carries with it a. subsidy of 30s for every 20s spent on it. COUNTY COUNCIL MEEDS Or Blair, chairman Taieri County Council, asked that the following bo made secondary roads:—Green Island to Taieri Mouth; Dunedin City boundary via Black Bridge and Duke’s road to Findlay’s corner; West Taieri Church to Berwick via IVoodside; Moonlight to Uiddlemarch. At the close of the chairman's remarks a general discussion followed on the matters raised.