COUNTY ROAD SUBSIDY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 231, 16 September 1935, Page 5

COUNTY ROAD SUBSIDY

Resolution Urges Increase

BACK-COUNTRY ACCESS

The Hawke’s Bay County Council, in common with other councils throughout the country, has adopted a remit passed by the Counties’ Conference last month, urging the Government to grant £1 for £1 subsidies on all roads. A resolution to this effect has been sent to members of Parliament in Hawke’s Bay, requesting their support.

The resolution reads as follows:— “That the Government be asked to introduce legislation this session authorising the payment of £1 for £1 subsidy on all roads other than highways instead ot the present subsidy.” In the past county councils were granted a subsidy of 25 per cent, up to the first £lO,OOO in rates collected, which, in the case of the Hawke’s Bay County Council, amounts to a subsidy of £2500 per year. Under the newly suggested scheme, this sum would bo considerably increased and the county would be able to carry out many improvements to roads giving access to the back country' areas. The county is at the present time carrying out a fiveyears scheme of tar sealing on the flat highways of its district, and is anxious that funds should be made available for the purpose of giving better service to the isolated districts, many of which experience a considerable amount of motor traffic. There are no backblocks in the formerly accepted sense of the word, and much work on the roads giving access to these districts is needed.