MAIN HIGHWAYS

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 12902, 1 July 1936, Page 5

MAIN HIGHWAYS

OBSTACLES To iMBROVEMENTS

WHERE COUNTIES ARE DIVIDED INTO RIDINGS. GOVERNMENT MAY INTERVENE (Press Association-1 WELLINGTON, June MO. Obstacles in the way' of necessary works on the main highways owingto the present method, of financing county councils were referred to' 46day by the Minister for Public Works (Mr. Semple). The Minister said he had found one o': the most common obstacles .10 the advancement of necessary works 01 the main highways was the inability or refusal of county councils to contribute their relatively small share of the expenditure; because a particular riding was unfinancial and the councils, were.amt disposed to regard such . matters from, a county point of view. Although the Counties Amendment Act 1931 enabled county councils to dispense with separate riding accounts, only one-third of the counties had, so far, taken advantage of tlio provision. There were some counties, however, which, although they had not abolished their riding accounts, did regard their highways liabilities as a county obligation by declaring all main, highways to fie county main roads. That meant that the county’s highways expenditure was charged to its general account and not to separate riding accounts. The Highways Fund could bo said no provide financial relief to local aiithmities as well as supplying the money necessary for a roading system up to modern traffic requirements. 1 1 the past, relief intended for a county as a whole had not been enjoyed to the full extent, owing to the riding system of accounting. With the advent of the State highways system. which would mean substantial financial relief for many county councils, the question naturally arose as to whether or not that relief should be spread over the, whole county, 'instead of a single riding. It was obviously unfair that, because a riding contained a State highway, should be freed from contributing to the general highways expenditure ol a county or that other ridings that did not contain State highways should be deprived of monetary relief which could result from the State system. Those anomalies would continue, to exist as long as county councils placed riding interests before those of a county as a whole and, in order o secure the full support of all local bodies in the maintenance . and improvement of main highways, the desirability of introducing legislation requiring all counties to charge their expenditure on highways , to thengeneral account would have to. he seriously considered by the Government.

The Minister pointed out that'there were 120 counties in New Zealand containing separate ridings. Ihe present system was costly, almost unworkable and stupid in the extreme and the whole problem would have in he tackled with firmness and determination.