ROADS IN EARTHQUAKE AREAS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 2 June 1930, Page 3

ROADS IN EARTHQUAKE AREAS

BURDEN OF RESTORATION

AbLEGFD BREACH OF FAITH

(Ily Telegraph—Press Association)

CHRISTCHURCH, 30th May

la spile of the promise made that the work of restoring the damage dono to the West Coast roads by the earthquake would not Ire a charge purely again;',l (lie main highways fund, and that a grant would be made from the Consolidated Fund to reduce the burden it appears that the Government is not now going to provide any such grant. Inquiries made by , a representative of the “Press” hlicited the information from an authoritative source that tho restoration work so far carried out had been paid for out of the South Island revenue account of the highways fund. The informant added that as the work had been financed up .to its present stage as he had indicated it was more than likely that it would be completed on such a basis.

When the matter was mentioned to the president of the South Isjgnd Motor Union (Mr A. E.‘ Ansel.l, M.P.), he said that at the quarterly meeting of the union in Dunedin on bill December he had referred to the statepjent made some time previously that the highways fund was to bear the whole expense of reconditioning the West Coast roads. The cost of restoration was then estimated at from £250,000 to £500,000, which figures were regarded by motorists with some concern. A resolution protesting against this drain on the fund had been passed at the previous meeting of the union. Mr Ansel! told the meeting that ho had discussed the matter with the Hon. E. A. Ranscmi during the Parliament my session, and had had a question ready to ask in the House. The Minister had asked Mr An,sell to defer tho matter in order that he might discuss it with Cabinet. Mr Anscll had complied with tho request, and he had since been notified by Mr Hansom that Cabinet had decided to bear a proportion of the cost. The actual amount, however, not having been docidodvupon, the meeting resolved to send a letter to the Minister thanking him for his assurance that the Government would bear a proportion of tho cost, and urging that in view of tho national importance of the road the grant he made a substantial one. “It is breach of faith on the part of the Government,” was the comment of the president of the Canterbury Automobile Association (Mr F. W. Freeman) when told of the position. The South Island had been, promised a highways hoard of its own, he continued, but a sort of political red herring had been drawn across the trail in the shape of the Transport Bill, the effect of which had been to give the proposed new hoard a definite set-back. The Bill contained manv features which were objectionable to motorists. While the majority of the people of the Dominion regarded the work of restoration, of the West Coast roads as a national matter, the Government had taken up the attitude that the job should be borne by the South Island motorists alone. The Government seemed to regard the motorist as a milch cow and to think that there was no limit to what he could produce.