MAIN HIGHWAYS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 17 September 1925, Page 7

MAIN HIGHWAYS.

PROGRESS OF THE WORK

In the course of his.annual statement, the Minister for Public Works referred to the main highways and the operations of the board. '

The Main Highways Board, which wa launched last year, has now completed a year or operation, he said. Although it has not had time to make any decided alteration in the transport systems of the Dominion, it is apparent in travelling throughout the country that the additional finances which this organisation provides, and the assistance to maintenance of the main avenues of traffic have already had their effect. The Board is functioning well. Its relations with local bodies are of the most harmonious character, and all the officers of the local bodies, as well as those of ray own Department, are making a general effort to enable the system to fulfil the anticipations of those who were instrumental, in bringing it into being. Since the first declaration of highways, on June 9, 1924, some modifications have been made, so that the total length of main highway now equals GOOB miles, of which 1362 miles have been declared Government roads. The fact that these roads are Government roads does not necessarily mean that the Government controls and maintains them, though this is the case on 703 miles. In other cases the local authorities are still finding a considerable proportion of the cost of construction and maintenance, but the Government, through the Highways Board, is finding more than the ordinary £1 for £1 or £1 for £2.

Apart from new construction, the additional money which the maintenance payments of the Highways Board provided towards the assistance of local body maintenance has resulted in quite a marked improvement in the standard of maintenance of many districts. In addition to finding money', the Board has carried on propaganda, having for its object the pressing on those controlling the roads the necessity for better maintenance, it being pointed out that money judiciously spent on maintenance will enable a road quite adequate for the business traversing it, and comfortable to those using it, to he maintained without the necessity for the expenditure of -large -sunis of'borrowed money on -reconstruction. Some local authorities, feeling the difficulty of obtaining borrowed money at the allowable rate of interest, have negotiated a bold policy of doubling, or at any rate greatly increasing, their rates, so as to provide their subsidy with which to take up the Board’s pound for pound ossitsance towards new works. This is a sound policy, and will result in much improvement 'of the highways without passing on to posterity a load of debt which might last far longer than the road to build which it was incurred.