GOOD ROADS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIV, 19 March 1921, Page 7

GOOD ROADS

Ab Monday's meeting of the council e>f the Wellington Chamber of Commerce the following letter was received from the Goods Roads issoeiafion, of Auckland: 'The Minister for Public Works has definitely promised that the *.*ill dealing with arterial roads will be: circulated during the recess, so that an opportunity may ie given for full consideration of the views of all parties interested. t'his promise was made at the reluesf of the association, and the biil was promised early this year. \\ e are writing the Minister asking him when the Bill will be ...ilablc, recognising that pending icecipt of (lie: Government proposal .ve can do little more than mark lime.. It. is important that the precisions should be availablo as .oon as possible to enable proper , onsidcration to be given to same and 1 would suggest that in accordance with, the system of cooperation on which we have been u'ting with your association you •night also write asking the Miniser to have the Bill circulated ■as soon as possible. When the Bill ias been published 1 will get into touch with you with the object of laving a conference, before the next ordinary session of Parliament, of all representative bodies loneerued in order to ensure as far as possible that an acceptable and alist.'iclorv statute be passed deal,ng with this important matter at iha.t session."

Mr W. S. Wilson urged that the chamber should write to the Good Roads Association asking that body to extend its activities to other parts of the Dominion. There was at present a great deal of waste in connection with the roads of the cumi)try on the part of local ..todies. He had been informed by the late chairman of the Huf.t ounfy Council (Mr M. Welch,) ,;hat years ago an offer had been mule' to keep! the Hutt Road oetween Wellington and Petone) in repair for ten years for £21,000. That offer was turned down. What -lad been the result? The repair •f the road had cost £4BOO a.year, 40 that in ten years the road would :ost £-18,000—which meant that G27.(j0() hat 7 been thrown away.

The president (Mr M. A. Carr) moved that the letter be received. He thought that it would be presumption on their part to invite r even suggest to an association n another centre that it should -xtend its operations. They were ill of one mind as to the value of •ood roads, but the matter of in•iting the Good Roads Association o extend its activities to Well togon as not one for the chamber to

-aise. The motion that the letter be •■•cpived was carried on a- show of hands