HIGHWAYS COUNCIL.

Feilding Star, Volume 1, Issue 49, 10 December 1923, Page 7

HIGHWAYS COUNCIL.

No. 9 DISTIUCI

The following letter has boon sent by the Wellington Automobile Club to the Hutt, .Milk.), Horowheuua, Alanawatu, Kairanga, Oioua, Kiwitea, and I'ohangiua County• Councils: ".In view of the fact, that motor vehicle owners have been taxed for road improvements since 1921 and that a sum of at least £'300,000 is expected lj be available from tlii.s source for expenditure from April next, I desire to express the disappointment of motorists that no action so far has been taken to ensure the apportionment of a due proportion of this sum for road improvement purposes in the No. 9 Highways District. Other districts have long since established their Highways District Councils and made recommendations as to the roads to be declared main and secondary highways and So made eligible to secure subsidies from the Highways h'unds on maintenance- and improvement work ; but for enquiries made on behalf of the Wellington Automobile Club it appears that no meeting whatever has been held in this district, and no information can even be elicited as to when one will be held. Jt would appear that matters are put in order and schemes lodged and approved in advance it should be possible to do so at least two month's work immediately on the Highways Act coming into Force in April next and before the winter sets in. Willi continued inaction in this disti ict the possibility of a prompt start must lie lost, and furthermore, it may be found that money in hand which would have been expended here has been allocated to other districts that have, bestirred themselves. The automobile assocications have long endeavoured to educate motorists to realise the profitableness from their own point of view of submitting to special taxation for roads purposes, and it is most discouraging to find this apparent absence of interest in making use of the" very considerable amount already accumulated by such taxation. J trust that you will use your best endeavours to have the No. 9 District Highways Council eld led into being and the necessary recommendations made without further delav—Your faithfully, S. G. NATHAN, Chair man."