MAIN HIGHWAYS

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 July 1927, Page 2

MAIN HIGHWAYS

BOROUGHS NEED SUBSIDY

(Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, July S. A deputation, composed of twenty members of Parliament, waited on the Minister of Public Works (Hou. K. S. Williams) to-day, to ask that the same subsidy for Main Highways should be made to boroughs as is granted to County Councils, for constructional purposes. Mr J. Linklater (Manawatu) pointed out that no provision for construction was provided for small boroughs, which felt that a great responsibility had been thrown upon them financially. In some cases that responsibility could not be met, and it was asked that small boroughs should be placed upon the same footing as County Councils, so far as the subsidy for construction costs were concerned. If that request were not granted, it would mean that in many cases, the highway would not be constructed. Most boroughs, he thought, would be satisfied with the subsidy granted to the County Councils, on the ordinary IS feet to 20 feet road, that constituted a highway. The Minister gave a sympathetic reply, and while not being able to promise to go to the whole length of the requests, said- that an amendment of the Highways Act would be brought down in the direction of giving assistance to the small boroughs. WARNING TO COUNCILS. WELLINGTON, July 9. The Main Highways Board has advised County Councils that owing to the necessity of having to transfer poition of its accumulated revenue from the renewal fund to the construction fund, for the year, in order to meet commitments, and in view of the large inroads that will be made on available cash in the revenue fund, it will be necessary to insure all reasonable caie be taken to see that the funds are judiciously expended on maintenance of main highways. Where it is found necessary for Counties to apply for sums in excess of those allotted for the year, full explanation as to the cause of the increased expenditure must be forwarded to the Public Works Department so that it may be embodied in the application to the Main Highways Board for authority. Councils are therefore asked to incur no expenditure other than what is absolutely essential.