ROAD EXPENDITURE INCREASES 100 p.c. IN LAST 3 YEARS

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6664, 18 July 1928, Page 6

ROAD EXPENDITURE INCREASES 100 p.c. IN LAST 3 YEARS

GROWING COSTS UPON LAND BECOMING GRAVE PROBLEM IN DOMINION TIME TO CONSIDER TAXATION REAL ESTATE CAN REALLY CARRY. For Press Association. WELLINGTON) Last Night. ' At the Counties Association, lunch con this afternoon the, Hon. JV G. Coates and the Hon. - K. S. William* were the guests. , Mr. Coates dealing with progress'in roads during tho past] twenty years said that'including main highways and ordinary Government-, grants to County Councils and Municipalities the amount,, spent for the some purposes was £5,500, ■ and this amount had been level as far bock as 1919.’ Taking the next bight ; years from. 1919 to : 1927 the amount ’ spent On roads in 1919'was £2,182,000 000, an increase of three and a half millions per annum. The population had increased from--1,175,000 in 1919 to 1,438,000 in 1927, almost 22 per cent. ...The , cost, per head had increased from'37s'.per head ! In 1919 to'£3 17s per head in 1927, ;so that where, tho population- - hid Via* creased 22 per cent.-tho increased expenditure bn roads was about 100 per cent. ■ V '■■■'":/ '"■ ■ V ; t‘i ; The number of motor, cars had tocreased from 50,000 in 1919 to 175)609 in 1927. Rating had tocroased at -» -v groat rate, an average increase of £57,500 per year for the last' 28 yeans For tho past eight years had approximated £423,000 a year. Where.weto we getting toll As the'years-went ba more and more authority' would ,ba delegated to local authorities.'’ j He believed an amalgamation of mapy. Counties would help, in this direction. Referring to the Highways Act- Mr, Coates said, the measure was sound in principle!'. More economie mcans of transportation so far -as .motors, we>o concerned was required, abd there was i) ■the question of the costs' that had V" gradually grown- upon the; land.. - ■ , , .New Zealand" had accomplished ! as much reading in eighty,years;as ’sonie ' other countries had in 500 years.' But ■ it had also' .been shown l that , it wjas' V possible so -to rate land' that: it wo* ofno further use forpurpbsesbfprimary production.' It was time tov.censidcr, what taxation the land really couM carry. A man buying land under the expectation that the rates would bo only £SO might find that -his rates were ia-the end £120,. - • : - , Local toting was a dangerous thing as -far as the farmers were concerned. In; the ease : of. some 6i the smadlei boroughs, sneh as Otaki, land had bbeo V; taxed so heavily that :‘Jt ;, « was 'of ,M use for farming, though 1 in reality it was only useful for farming. Tho , costs of transportation could be a# ■. longer thrown back, on the land. .