MAIN HIGHWAYS BILL

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 6 October 1921, Page 5

MAIN HIGHWAYS BILL

DISCUSSED BY MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE.

(.BY TBLEGKAPB — VB.&HQ ASSOCIATION.) I m , WELLINGTON, Oct. 4. I .The proposed legislation in the Main ELighways Bill was the subject of discussion at the Municipal Conference. Mr King (Mayor of Devonport) mov-' edthat the necessary amending legislation be sought vesting the control! and maintenance of all main arterial roads in the Government, inclusive of that portion of the main arterial roads' which comes within the boundaries of, any city, borough or town board. It seemed that the. Government was not going to accept any responsibility for, roads that passed through local bodies'! areas. The Bill would seriously affect local bodies by depriving them of motor licensing fees, etc. ~ I In seconding the motion, Mr Bushworth (Mayor of Lower Hutt) thought the Government should take over the control of the' whole main arterial roads, including those portions which' passed through boroughs. . | Mr Mi Luckie (Wellington) thought, the Government should subsidise local, bodies through whose areas main roads • passed. If one central board of control was established it was anticipated there would be constant dissatisfaction from i county councils and other small bodies, jlt would be a serious thing if municipalities were to be robbed of power to tax vehicular traffic. If legislation i were passed a large addition would! have to be effected to general rates. Mr J. A. Fletcher (Christchurch) moved as an amendment that the conference strongly objects to the proposals that those portions of arterial roads' lying within the boundaries-of cities, boroughs or town districts should be excluded from the provisions of the Arterial Roads Bill, and the burden of maintaining such portions being cast upon cities, boroughs and town districts concerned, without sharing in the revenue proposed,to be raised from annual licensing and registration . of motor vehicles, tyres and other taxation.

Mr L. McKenzie (Wellington) though they should protest to the Government for trespassing' upon cities' rights and privilege*. He advocated that a petrol and tyre tax should be imposed upon motor vehicles, and that local authorities should have the right of, maintaining their own roads. He objected to. delegating control of streets -to an outside authority. ; Mr F. T. Bellringer (New Plymouth) thought control of roads should remain under the jurisdiction of local bodies; that owners of motor vehicles should contribute to the cost of maintenance; that the Government should increase subsidies to enable the bodies concerned to maintain arterial roads. After further discussion the following motion, drafted by Mr Fletcher, was carried: *The Conference is of opinion that the cost of constructing and maintaining the main arterial roads of the Dominion should be a charge on the Consolidated Fund, but objects to the trarden of maintaining such portions of such roads as lie within the boundaries of cities or town districts being cast upon the city or borough concerned without sharing in the revenue proposed to be raised from licens- . ing motor vehicles, etc.''