HIGHWAYS SCHEME

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 17 September 1925, Page 4

HIGHWAYS SCHEME

GOVERNMENT SHARPLY CRITICISED RY CANTERBURY PROGRESS LEAGUE 'By Te’eeranh —Special to The Mai .) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. The question of main highways was discussed tit yesterday’s meeting of tho council of the Canterbury Progress League, and some hard things were said in criticism of the present Government. scheme. The organiser. Mr P. R. Climic. then rend the report which had been drawn up by the executive. It stated that if tin's province was to receive its full share of expenditure on public works and railways it would have to make strong and persistent representations and would have to show that the people of Canterbury wen* united in their determination to obtain a square deal in the ease of the Lvttel-ton-Chri.stehurch railway. Salaried ollicials of the Government, bad been allowed to become partisans and special pleaders to the detriment of Canterbury's just claims, and a sharp protest had been deemed necessary to restrain such objectionable developments. The executive was convinced that Canterbury had nothing to lose by taking a firm stand in such matters, and nothing to gain by swallowing such slights and injustices. Mr \Y. 'l'. Lilly (Ashburton) said that so far as the Highways Act in Canterbury was concerned it was looked upon its a taxing machine for 11 it Government, who spent the money where they wished. If the Government allowed them to collect their own taxes on motor cars and spend the moncy in tl: *'r own district they would receive far more money than they were gelling from the Main Highways Hoard. Mr Kurkett was running the whole show. So far as the highways scheme was concerned the sooner they let the Government know they wore not going to tolerate the present state of a (fairs the better. The conditions in the two islands were so different that there should he a hoard for each. The thing was too big for one hoard. If the South Island was going to have its share spent in this island there must lie some control here. At present it was nothing else than a Public Works affair. Plan and specifications were being prepared even for the repairing of a pothole (laughter). The whole thing was raliculously ahstirli.