GOVERNMENT AND COUNTY ROADS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1465, 21 February 1919, Page 7

GOVERNMENT AND COUNTY ROADS.

Speaking at Waitara this week Sir W. Fraser, Minister for Public Works, said there was a- great deal ol talk about the Government taking over the maintenance of main roads, and added : ■Any road once made is a country road, unless the Government proclaim it to be a Government road. In many parts the Government undertook to look alter roads which pass through country where were no rates collected or the rates were very small. Suppose the Government did maintain roads, the desire apparently was to save payment of rates, but they must not suppose they would benefit as tar as their pockets were concerned. Maintenance would have to he done out of revenue, not out of borrowed money, and that would mean it tax, the greater part ol which would liuve to come off the land. Moreover, there would lie no certainly that the Crown would expend the money in the locality' in which it was raised, whereas under local body control ratepayers see the local bodies do their duty. Ho urged them to keep the maintenance of roads under local body control. He believed, unless in exceptional cases of very high-rated hj ml and wealthy districts, the Government should help to maintain the roads.