BY-ROADS MAINTENANCE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 136, 9 May 1928, Page 11

BY-ROADS MAINTENANCE.

NEGLECTED FOR HIGHWAYS,

AIORE ATTENTION ADVOCATED.

Considerable discussion arose at yesterday’s meeting of the Alanawatu County Council when a letter was received from the Public Works Department giving official notification of the classifying of the Longburn-Rongotca Road as a main highway and stating that the subsidy for maintenance on this road would be at the same rate as that being paid at present for other roads, viz., 30s for £l.

Cr. Perrett considered that it was construction work that. the department ought to subsidise and suggested that a minimum subsidy on a 60-40 basis he requested for construction work.

The county clerk (Air A. K. Drew) pointed out that the whole question was the classification, of the highways. Most of these subsidiary highways were classified as the same, yet there was no comparison between the traffic on a road connecting two main centres and a road in an outlying rural district.

Cr. Boyce claimed that the side roads in tho counties wero being neglected for the purpose of providing good roads for the travelling- public, but Cr. Perrctt pointed out that the sooner the council tar-sealed the main roads, and saved maintenance costs on them, the sooner it would have money to spend on the side roads. Cr. Boyce thought that the roads could not be sealed without a loan and by the time tho loan wa6 raised and the 'road seal ; cd tho sido roads would be beyond repair or the ratepayers would he bankrupt. “There is no doubt-that the time has arrived when we will have to seal the main roads, J ’ observed the chairman (Cr. W. .E. Barber). “When this work is done money for maintenance will bo released and we

will he able to attend to the side roads,” he added. Cr. Perrctt stated that the onus for main road work was Bn the Highways Board, but it was the council’s duty to look after the side roads and protect its ratepayers’ interests. The chairman stated that no finality could bo reached on the point at present and the whole matter would he thrashed But when the estimates were being considered at the annual meeting of the council.