WHANGAREI COUNTY POLICY

Northern Advocate, 23 May 1928, Page 7

WHANGAREI COUNTY POLICY

CHAIRMAN ’S ’ AXNUAL REPORT,

INTERESTING PHASES DIS CLOSED.

1 At the annual meeting of the Wha- | ngarei Countv Council this afternoon j the county chairman, .Mr L. Webb, j read Ids annual report. In a preface he stated that he had not cpioted many figures and statistics as he felt that members had been supplied with ! them on recent occasions.

CHAIRMAN ’S ANN DAI, REPORT,

Mr IVebb then read his annual re port, reviewing past: and future policy

as follows;

‘‘i he complexity of local government administration in all its important and centred activities in the construction and maintenance of roads, rofpiires periodically some public pronouncement concerning the policy pursued by those responsible. VAR YIN G MEW-POINTS. “It is insufficient, in my opinion, to advocate that a council’s policy be judged solely by the results achieved and partly manifest.

“A comprehensive county reading policy in its developmental stages, such as that obtaining in this county today on main arterial roads, where the greatest expenditure and activities are centred, is not generally acceptable to those ratepayers who are situated in the outskirts of closer s&iilcmcnt where clay roads are in evidence. MOTOR TRAFFIC PROBLEM. “Advent of the motor vehicle and its wide use in connection with farming pursuits and in the general life of the country, and the fact that, in addition to county rates, each and every motor vehicle in use now' contributes directly towards the construction and maintenance of roads, it naturally follows that those settlers who have to contend with clay access roads, view with varying degrees of dissatisfaction the largo expenditure devoted to main arterial roads throughout the county. “There are many settlers who, without knowing the full facts, roundly-con-demn the institution of the main highways system, in all its branches and activities. There are others who, though not finding fault, advocate a general and wider distribution of the revenues accruing from motor and petrol tax.

COUNCIL'S GENERAL ATTITUDE

“It is exactly on these issues that T tool something should be said, and the reasons why this council favours and pursues a policy that gives .first aid and consideration to the national roads and main highways in the county.

"In the first place let me call to mind the fact that in the year 1924, there was a national cry throughout New Zealand, county councils on the one side complaining bitterly, of the fast and rapidly increasing motor traffic ruining existing roads, and strenuously advocating that the users of the road should be made to pay; and on the other side, from the users of the motor vehicles, demanding better roads, even at the cost of the country ratepayers. The result was the introduction of legislation imposing a tax for road purposes, on motor vehicles, tyres, and more recently on petrol.

SOURCES OF FINANCE."Today county councils, as the result of those incidencies of taxation, receive from the Main Highways Board financial assistance under the following headings;—(l) In respect of ordinary main highways and Government roads, mainenance and construction, subsidies varying from £1 for £1 to £5 for £l. (2) In respect of secondary main highways for maintenance purposes, a subsidy at the rate of 30s for £l, (3) In respect of roads adjacent to the larger centres of population (towns of over fiOOO inhabitants), reconditioning and surfacing, subsidies as high as £-1 for £l.

"In Whangaroi County no less than 120 miles of county roads have been declared main highways or Government toads, the subsidies varying from .‘lds in the .€, to £4 in the case of Government roads, and roads adjacent to the larger centre of population (Whangarci). Although increased motor traffic results in increased expenditure, there is now not only a reasonable chance—which was not in sight before —of the Council saving its heavy capital (loans chiefly) expenditure on main arterial roads from total loss, but a moans of releasing in the near future a far greater amount, of general revenue for expenditure on riding roads. The Government’s policy in regard to main highways and taxation in connection therewith, came at a most

critical juncture in the history of county councils in their reading activities and responsibilities. What would the position he like today if the old order of things still prevailed? PRINCIPAL ROADS FIRST.

‘‘Tin; policy of this council is generally to give first consideration to the main and national highways in the comity. A policy that will not only save and protect the large capital expenditure invested in our main roads, but will result in a very large annual saving to the ratepayers in maintenance cost and upkeep.

"To devoto at the present time in a genual way any appreciable proportion of county and riding revenues to the metalling of backblock roads (ex-

eept in casus where the money goes towards subsidising ,Government grants)

at the expense of the main highways of

the county where, 'when all is said and done, all traffic, local and national,

concentrates, would in my opinion ho suicidal and' culminate in a complete breakdown in our reading schemes and system. And it would then be little wonder if the Main Highways Board stepped in, as has happened in other places, to revoke its delegation of powers and to assume control in the local and national interest.

“The sooner our main highways arc reconditioned and surfaced to ■withstand present day traffic, the sooner will the evident rapid dwindling in our vested capital expenditure be arrested and the annual cost of maintenance and upkeep reduced. To achieve this, am] taking all factors into consideration, the council is pursuing the only economic course open to it. In my opinion any policy which tends to scatter expenditure in face of the present day conditions, or permits to continue a waste of the large capital expenditure invested and involved in our main roads, is economically unsound.

REACHING THE BACK-BLOCKS.

“1 do not wish it to be understood,

however, from my remarks, that the large expenditure at present devoted to our main highways togethe with Ihe amount now being contemplated, ivill have the effect of reducing oxpeniiture on the backbloc.k roads. On the

contrary, the recent increase in mileage (50 miles) of additional main highways, together with the saving in maintenance and upkeep foreshadowed in the ease of roads adjacent to the Borough of Whangarei, will have the effect of releasing a fairly substantial sum for improvement of roads in the backblocks.

PROGRESS,

“It is interesting to record that

during the past eight years this county has, with the additional aid of loans. Government grants and highway funds, reformed and metalled 117 miles of roads, and formed a further 25 miles. GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL AID. “Since the year 1920-1921 the county has received from the Government the following total financial assistance: Government grants for roads and bridges accounted for £84,457, assistance from the Main Highways Board £23,480, and subsidy on general rates £17,5 14, making a total of £125,451.

COUNTY PUBLIC DEBT

“In the last eight years the public debt of the county has increased from €02,033 to £91,910. During the same period, the capital value of the county increased from £2,391,833 to £4,448,308.

VALUATIONS SEDUCTIONS. *‘ As the result of applications for special revision under section 50 of “The Valuation of Land Act,” considerable reductions have recently been made in many parts of the county. In the Mangakahla Riding alone these reductions in unimproved values amount to £14,000. Consequently it will be found necessary in this riding to materially increase the special loan rate. “These special revisions obviously disturb the relative values In the district or locality, and cause a certain amount of dissatisfaction. 1 strongly recommend the council to make application to the proper authorities for an early revision of the whole county, as the only just remedy.

APPRECIATION. “J would like to take this opportunity of thanking Mr W. Jones, M.P., Mr Allen Bell, M.P., and officers of the district office of the Public Works .Be partmont for the able assistance rendered tliis council during my term of office. All have talff-n a very lively interest in'the welfare of the county, and their individual and collective cooperation has resulted in much good.

“In conclusion, I wish to thank you one and all for your very able assistance in the conduct of the business of the council during my sojourn in office, and for your loyalty and courtesv to me as chairman. Also I take this opportunity to thank the staff and outside employees for the faithful and consistent performance of their respective duties. On behalf of the council, I desire to thank the local press for its continued generous treatment in the publication of all matters appertaining to the welfare and administration of tin* county.”

The chairman’s report was received with applause, and, when returning thanks, Mr Webb said lie trusted that the county would continue to make

similar progress. When moving adoption of the report, Or A, J. McKay stated that there had been a good deal of criticism levelled at their council through correspondence in the Press, and he felt sure that circulation of the report would do a lot towards correcting the statements which had been made.

The seconder was Or F. Elliott, who declared that he had been considerably astonished by some of the statements made by the letters in the Press. What had been stated was not accurate. Hud it been correct, it would have meant that, the council was spending about 90 per cent, of its funds on its main roads and neglecting the others. Or L. A. Johnson also congratulated the chairman upon the report, and he felt that when members received their copies they would find a lot of interesting matter to read and study. Cr Johnson also stated that it was a

matter for congratulation that the clerk had the estimates ready, and pleasing to note that the council would have move money available for expen-