CONTROL OF HIGHWAYS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 140, 15 May 1936, Page 8

CONTROL OF HIGHWAYS.

PLAIN SPEAKING. MINISTER AND LOCAL BODIES. (By Telegraph.—Special to Standard.) WELLINGTON, May 14. The concern of some Taranaki local bodies over the proportion of contributions they would lie liable to pay under an agreement for the upkeep of Egmont National Park Reserve caused the Minister of Public Works (Hon. R. Semple) to make some emphatic comment to-day on the difficulties he has experienced in securing the co-operation of counties in the improvement of national arterial roads. His criticism was general, and not directed to Taranaki.

There had been what the Minister called “a little argument about 25 per cent.',” and Mr toemple declared that this was another little argument in favour of all the main arterial roads of the country being taken over by the Main Highways Board. “That,” he continued, “has got to come, because 1 have a volume of evidence to prove that we will never have a properly constructed and maintained highway in this country until it is under the control of one organisation, with no contribution from anybody else. We have cases all over the country—no paving in the South Island because some counties will not contribute their share. 1 know that when the problem >is tackled some' counties will say nasty things, and come here with their bristles up and call me names, but the lact is that our arterial roads are a national institution, and we cannot afford to prevent anyone from making them up-to-date and efficient, giving the people speedy and safe access to the markets of our country. I was in the South Island the other day, added the Minister, “and told some county representatives that there was no paving in the district, and asked the cause. The counties said they would help all they could if l w? lll d. give them £7 to £l. I said ‘I will give you nothing of the kind. We a.e proposing to do it ourselves, and if this is the best you can do, you can get out of the picture.’ ”