“VIOLENT ATTACK ON COUNTY SYSTEM”

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 7 October 1936, Page 7

“VIOLENT ATTACK ON COUNTY SYSTEM”

COUNTIES’ ASSOCIATION VIEW OF HIGHWAYS BILL THE NATIONAL ROADING PROGRAMME In the opinion of the executive of the New Zealand Counties Association, the proposals of the Highways Amendment Bill, now before the House of Representatives, constitute a violent attack on the county system of local government, and the substitution therefor of centralised bureaucratic control. This is the core of a statement on the Bill issued by the association, following an interview on Saturday last between the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple) and a delegation from the executive of the Counties Association.

The delegation consisted of Messrs A. E. Jull, W. Marshall and F. H. Hudson, and Colonel J. Pow; arid the full statement subsequently issued was as follows: —

The interview elicited from the Minister his intention first to' create some 4000 miles of the most important arterial roads, to be called State highways, as a first instalment, with the desire to continue that policy until even 12,000 miles of State highways were created, making, as the Minister said, a national roading system, and with the Public Works Department co-operating with the counties in respect of the remaining roads. The intention is that the Highways Board shall on the State highways do the actual work of construction, reconstruction and maintenance quite independently of the county councils, only using the county personnel and equipment until the department can gather its own either by taking over plant that the board considers suitable or by purchasing its own. An important provision in the Bill :s that the Minister’s consent must first be obtained before any construction work on any main highway can be started. Another provision is that the Minister is also to be the final appeal authority in cases of disagreement between the board and councils. The Minister admitted the difficulty of dealing with the cases where counties have raised loans to cover the cost of construction ou roads to be now declared State highways, and said he would endeavour later on to try to solve that problem. Many counties, particularly in the South Island, had not played the game in respect of road improvement. In fact, the Minister stated that if the gaps in the road system, .particularly in the South Island, had not existed, there would have been no necessity for the RilL

UNEQUAL BENEFIT TO COUNTIES The delegation pointed out to the Minister that although the counties through whose area the present proposed State highways run would be relieved of the annual cost of maintenance, many counties would, because of their geographical position, get no benefit at all. There are counties which had interest on loans, for their road construction up to eight, or 10 times the amount of the proposed maintenance benefit. The counties which had done the least on the proposed State highways would receive the greatest share of benefit. There was ample power under the present A*t to revoke the control of any portion of a. highway in any county and do the work .of, construction, making the county stand up to its reasonable share and so close the gaps in the road system. The Minister was reminded that he has repeatedly stated that the Highways Board, in conjunction with the counties, had done most excellent work, yet the Bill proposed to take away from the board its power ana discretion and vest them in the Minister, thus introducing political control. When the State highway control and administration were taken over by the department, many counties woulej lose the community interest between their different parts, the State highways being in many cases the backbone of the county, and such counties would tend to disintegrate into road hoards and, as the poli'/y of State highways proceeds, so the county system must give way to centralised bureaucratic control with groups of small road boards administering the by-ways under departmental supervision.

The county delegation was not opposed to the creation, of a set of roads the full cost of which would be borne by the highways fund. There are such roads now, and more could be created Under present legislation. There is ample power in the present Act to insist that all counties be made to contribute to the closing of gaps in their area if the' Minister will exereise it rather than penalise the counties that have faced their obligations, and still further assist those who have not. If the Minister’s intention of introducing departmental administration of the main roads is carried out, the dual control of authority which existed when road boards and county councils were operating together will be revived to the great disadvantage of efficiency and economy.

SUBSIDISING OTHER ROADS The Minister was reminded of his previous statement to assist counties by a subsidy on roads other than main highways, and he assured the delegation that het-still intended to do that later on. In the Minister’s explanation in the House on the introduction of the Bill he said it was intended to make a distinction between those counties that had played the game regarding road improvement and those which had not, but according to the Bill this intention is to be carried out by granting greater benefit to the counties that, as the Minister says, have not played the game, and making conditions relatively harder and more irksome for those who have played the game. The abolition of active co-opera-tion of the counties in doing the road work under the supervision of the Highways Board for construction and maintenance of the highways with their own plant, or by contract, has brought about the great road improvement to the satisfaction of all parties, and should not be curtailed as proposed by a system of dual control. The gaps in the completion of the main road surfacing are '•apidly diminishing, and now that more funds arc available oan be totally eliminated by invoking the powers of the present Act. The counties delegation was opposed to the emasculating of the powers of

the Highways Board by the introduction of political control. It will be remembered that the Minister stated some time ago that it was his desire to pool all motor taxation, including heavy traffic, fees. If this is brought about there will be a loss of about £138,000 to all counties, while some counties will benefit from the maintenance by the State of -4000 miles of State highways'by £BO,OOO per annum in road maintenance. The counties delegation was insistent that the proposals as explained by the Minister were, without doubt, whether intentional or not. a violent attack on the county system of local government and the substitution therefor of centralised bureaucratic control. The county authorities are likely to be bewildered at what appears to be the conflicting policies regarding local government. On one hand the Minister of Internal Affairs is urging and encouraging counties to amalgamate to ensure, as he thinks, greater efficiency and economy, while the Minister of Public Works in his Highways Amendment Bill is proposing legislation that must result, in less, efficiency and ultimately complete disintegration of counties. !' i