MAKING ROADS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 21 August 1926, Page 3

MAKING ROADS.

' COST TO THE GOVERNMENT. STEADILY INCREASING. (Special to Star). WELLINGTON, Aug. 20. Discussing road - construction, the Minister for Public Works, in bis annual Statem.jnt, presented to the House of Repnesentatives last night, stated:

The expenditure on road construction has been steadily increasing front year to year, and during last financial yaair it has again constituted a record for this branch of the Department’s operations. The £1,000,000 mark has nearly been reached.

The primary development in any coui}try must, of course, be by roading, and very great progress has been made in this direction during the past year, both in materially improving existing roads by widening and improvement of alignment and grades and in constructing new roads.

The expenditure of the Parliamentary appropriations for this purpose has been carried out both by the Public Works Department and by local-body organisations in accordance, with depart me nta 1 requiremeii ts. P articular attention lias again been given the question of constant and sufficient maintenance.

The animal road estimates were again prepared in accordance with each district’s claims for' consideration in, respect to area, popualtion, rating, loans For reading, value of undeveloped lands suitable for settlement, and estimated amount required to ful'y complete all '.©gal roads. This system is proving particularly satisfactory to both tire department and the local bodies, but it is hoped during the present year to effect certain improvements in the method of arriving at each district’s just allocation , which, will make it still more satisfactory.

The expenditure on restoration of roads and bridges damaged, by exceptional floods has again, been fairly heavy. In very many cases the .east of restoration has been quite beyond, the means of local authorities, and: substantia! assistance from the. Government has been necessary MAIN HIGHWAYS.

The amending legislation of last year permitted the Main Highways Bo gig! tot subsidise, maintenance of main highways to the extent of half the cost of the local authorities. Under the original Act the contribution of the board was one-third of the cost, and. the effect of the improved.rate' cf confrilnirtion bv the- Main Highways Board was to induce local authorities' to provide larger sums as their quota towards the maintenance of main highways, .and thereby ensure a. better surface on the highways for the use of the travelling public. , . A pleasing feature in the actual maintenance operations of main highways Js the introduction bv local bodies of modern road-making plant methods, which are strongly advocated by the board itself. It is only by the employment of up-to-date methods that the' needs or modern road transport can be economicallv satisfied, and the adoption of such methods by all local bodies is strong]y advocated. It is herb remarked that all reconstruction schemes are thoroughly investigated by the Highways Board, and the necessity for local bodies to prove tire economic soundness of their schemes tends to regulate local government borrow i ng. .