MR SEMPLE ON A “COLOSSAL BLUNDER”
Construction Of Highways By County Councils [Per Press Association. Copyright J GISBORNE, This Day. A denunciation of the old scheme of things whereby, the construction and maintenance of main highways were a liability on county councils was made by the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, at Gisborne on Saturday, when speaking to’, a' deputation representative of Cook County Council ratepayers. " To that, policy; the Minister attributed the plight 'of many counties throughout the Dominion, who were unable to find money for secondary and backblock roads. Saving to Counties. - ■ ... ...... \y . ■- The Minister said that the Government had taken over 2000 miles of highways .last year, and, as a .result, h t ad saved the counties . £200,000. “The counties never should have been called upon to Itey money fqr highways,” he continued., “Main arterial highways are not a county liability, any more than the - railways are. It was a colossal blunder ♦ ever to have asked*;the counties to pay money, towards maini>high- ■ ways. ri“lf that had" not. been v done/ the counties would have moneyspejid pn county roads. Today there ' are hundreds of farmers stuck in the* mild.
Trying To Patch Past Mistakes. “We are trying to patch up the mistakes of the past,” declared the Minister. “It Was a political 'blunder of the greatest magnitude. l anri not going to suggest that a review of "these liabilities will, not take, place. They will be wine day, ...r - , “Unless we. have some other system for the construction'and maintenance of roads, those farmers who have been stuck in the mud for years will stay ip the mud. To leave the farmer there, not only means, ham-stringing him, but prevents him from s taking the total possible production from his property, and that automatically affects the nation as a -whole, - - “As soon, as I. got the* opportunity, X gaver the.maximum relief possible at the time. The plight- counties .are in today was brought aboiit by their, being straddled with a burden they should never have been asked to-carry,” the Minister concluded. n (
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NA19370531.2.39
Bibliographic details
Northern Advocate, 31 May 1937, Page 4
Word Count
346MR SEMPLE ON A “COLOSSAL BLUNDER” Northern Advocate, 31 May 1937, Page 4
Using This Item
NZME is the copyright owner for the Northern Advocate. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons New Zealand BY-NC-SA licence . This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of NZME. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Log in