NORTHERN FLOOD DAMAGE

Northern Advocate, 30 May 1935, Page 8

NORTHERN FLOOD DAMAGE

MEETING THE BILL OFFER BY PUBLIC WORKS j DEPARTMENT. j BREACH OF FAITH ALLEGED. An indication of what the Public Works Department is prepared to do in assisting North Auckland local authorities to repair flood damage to bridges other than on main highways is given in the following letter forwarded by the Hon. J. Bitchener:— “In yiew of the many reports received by me giving account of the heavy damage to bridges in North Auckland counties caused by recent floods, I have given special consideration to the question and, in co-opera-tion with my colleague, the Hon. Minister of Finance, I have arranged for grants to be placed on the Estimates indicative of a®desire on the part of, the Government to assist these councils to restore the more necessary of these works. List of Works. “The following is a list of the works to which I refer and the contributions which I have decided to offer the respective county councils. These subsidies have been decided upon after a very careful analysis of the ability of the respective councils to share the cost .of restoring the damaged structures and in accordance with the limited amount available for the-purpose: Bay of Islands County.—Mangaone River Bridge (Tautoro-Mataraua Road), £2OO, £1 for £2; Tokowhero Road Bridge, £IOO, £1 for £2.

Hokianga County—Guthrie’s Road Bridge, £2OO, £1 for £1; Jackson’s Road Bridge, £l5O, £1 for £1; Mangatarairi Road Bridge, £l5O, £1 for £l, Motutoa to Koutu Road Bridge, £l5O, £1 for £1; New Zealand Stream Bridge (Horeke-Taheke Road), £9O, £1 for £1; Utukura River Bridge' (Harrison’s Road), £l2O, £1 for £l, Young’s Fork Bridge (Punakitere Road), £SO, £1 for £1; Humm’s Road (Taheke), £9O, £1 for £1; Iwitaua Road Bridge, £125, £1 for £1; Hall’s Bridge (Waimamaku Road), £SO, £1 for £l. Whangarei County—Morey’s Bridge (Purua-Titoki Road), £ls, £1 for £4; Waipu to Mangawai Road bridges, £220, £1 for £4. Relief Labour Available.

“The Unemployment Board has already offered, in most cases where damage on roads has been extensive, to assist with restoration by contributing at various rates in respect of the services of any relief employees which the councils are prepared to employ. I understand that this assistance is limited to road works other than bridges, j the class of work required on the latter being of a nature unsuited for the employment of' casual labour. “It is to be understood that, if the county council desires, because of a high labour content in any bridge renewal work, tq apply to the Unemployment Board and accept the rate of assistance which it would thus obtain, rather than take advantage of any of the above-mentioned grants, in no case jwill a Government subsidy from both j the Unemployment Board and the j Public V/orks Department be permitted. In other words, these subsidies I are granted on the understanding that j no relief labour will be employed on which a subsidy is being obtained from the Unemployment Board. “The respective county councils may obtain monetary authority by submitting statable plans and specifications for the expenditure of any, or all, of the above-mentioned grants, to the District Engineer of the Public Works] Department.” Waipu-Mangawai Road. Just prior to leaving for England, Mr J. G. Coates, Minister of Finance, advised Mr A. J. Murdoch, M.P., that it had been arranged that the Public Works Department should undertake the repair of the Waipu-Mangawai Road, and that it was hoped to make a start almost immediately. The estimated cost of that section alone was £2545, for which the Public Works Department is now offering £220 on a £1 for £4 basis. Extreme dissatisfaction with the attitude taken up by the Minister has been expressed by Mr Murdoch. “It is a distinct breach of faith of the arrangement made between Mr Coates and myself,” he said. Mr Murdoch intends to take the matter further when in Wellington this week.