MAIN ROADS AND THEIR UPKEEP

North Otago Times, Volume C, Issue 13146, 29 August 1914, Page 3

MAIN ROADS AND THEIR UPKEEP

PROVISIONS or THE LOCAL ' ,i GEANTS \ 1 , n 1 , Per Pi ess Association, ' \ WELLINGTON, August 28. Piovisidn foi the expemlitiue oi public funds-upon mafo aitonal loads is mado in tho.Loirnl Grants/and Subsidies Bill illicit'A\as intiodiiced iu the Ilousb of Eepiosoulaiivcsitliiß evoniug 'l'lic ascertainments Oi loads winch aio " maiii arterial ""roads and the expenditure required, are to be .recommended bythe Board of Works constituted by the Bill, and iti lepolt'ia to bo to the Ifousd The Bill defines a main aiterial road as one winch passes in a continuous, lino., through at least two counties, or m a continuous lino from, a latiway to a ?e,lpoit Continuity amII not bo deemed to be broken by reason 'merely that part of the. road is a 'street' of a borotighj within ut town district. A further clause of the definition provides that the roaiUnust 'be so yenused that it is substantially unjust that;funds. fcfrNits-,iiini ntcnaneo and repair' should bo. provided by the local authtniiics : of the districts Sub-.. ject lo the'definition''a main ai tonal road'-in- a.rfiad vfJiiCh'-Parliament dctel'- • mines to be such iii, accordance with a .report li^.tlib/]3oiii;d!-AU'urtlier duty tif the'- Board-iwlk'jjo ;to "dfitoriiijjib what proportion of the cost of .construction, inaintn'ance, arid"repair of siich ' roads should be contributed by local authorities, and /What expenditure should bo nadc fi;onx funds. The reports of tho Board are to bo submitted lo the House of Representatives and provision' is to bo made for expenditure in accordance wityfehc resdliitiqn.of - the House. Another' .pection of tliju Bill provides; that all annual license ices paid iu : respect of motor vehicles shall lie paid over to theißoarjl of Woj'ks aftor llio.cQst of adiiiiuiMration-lms'bcou doducted. These moneys are to bo kept' in a separate account and utilised for the special maintenance and repair \)f such roads and bridges as lire most utilised for motor trallic.

(Siiociiil 16 "Tlio Tiiuus;") ■ V WELL ING TOfr, August 28. Tliepriacipl proposal in the Financial Statement was a new system of distributing grants and subsidies to local authorities, and a Bill-embodying the scheme was introduced iii the House of ltepresentatives this evening. It provides for the maintenance of main and arterial roads, and for the expenditure of fees paid in respect of motor vehicles upon the roads most utilised for motor trallic. N

The interpretation clause in the Bill i.s important.' "Construction" and "construction work" mean the construction of new work, and, in exceptional cases-approved by the Board of Works, include works in lieu of works which, have become insufficient or useless or destroyed by lire, teui 1 pest, floods, or earthquake. The metalling of roads not" previously metalled, or not previously -"'sufficiently metalled, and the formation of a road not previously properly formed la ahtrahtrahth ously properly laid out Or formed, are "new works." The term "local authority" is applied to the Bill only to .County Councils, Road Boads, and Town Boards. "Local works" .includes every work which a iocal authority. is authorised to undertake, .except railways, tramways, and buildings other than bridges. The distribution of grants from the Public 'Works Fuud is to be made by a ■ Board of Works. This Board is to consist of three'persons appointed by the Governor ior -aHerni of five years. Any members of the Board may be suspended by- the Gov.cr|on .for ,misbehaviour or restored to Offieo only bv. r ol ut tjiph * oftil e House of. Representatives;, 'Board is to. have all the powers' of a epriniiissiou appointed under the Inquiry- Act, The salaries ofrthe-Chairman and the other two. members .of ; the Board are not dclined'iby-:the :Bill; . Applications for -grants' are;it.o-lie Ijlassilieil by the •Board. Witlir regard to the principle that the primary purpose■; of -grants is the construction of roads and bridges, and tlult iii cases'of exceptional urgency and importance grants may be made for other works, the following classification is proposed:—Class I—Local works ■which the Board deems to bo urgently required" 1 iir the' interest of the pablw generally, as well as ol' local benefit '(lis, forc^iijiiS,'bridges' Over- dangerous rivers, connecting roads in general use) ; Class I.l—Local works in distiicts or parts of districts where the 'settlem'enf of i,CroWh .lands .has. been olfreted for-a pWi6d v 'oxCeeditig -three years, and where the,settlers are not provided with sufficient road's;' 'Class ill—Local works iii districts^ or parts of districts tin) local authorities of which,'are subject to disadvantage by reason of (a)' sparse settlement, (b) the existence of largo areas of unoccupied Crown land or of Native/land;-- (c) difficulty in procuring suitnbl e•in a t eii til for metalling roads; Class IV.—Other local works;.

The anioitiit' : Public Works I'lintlexpenditure,upon local worliS;jh^Ci[a^ij^ar';is^. to ,bc; statcil by tlie Miiustenfdi®i(iaime ill the.financial Statement, A; report is. then to bo prepamf by the Board of Works allocating this sum' in grants for local work, giving presence to the various applications according to their special classili; cation.- 1 The recommendations of the Board are to be embodied in the Public Works Estimates, which arc to consist of ;tliq Jirst part being 'estini;. ates of the expenditure proposed—inclusive of-grants for locjil works in accordance with.the allocation recommended bv. the Board. ' The second part of the Bill deals with subsidies from tire .Consolidated "Fund to Comity CouHcijii, ..Boad Boards,J ■' and Town Boards, wlii,.ch ; at preSont do-not receive su lisid i cis atcprtl i ng t*b; ut per jii'a 11 r ont according tot the'auini pri)j)iittibh vA'si't?: l ßil^ii:qyidc!i , a stiitiouaryv.a|iprojination \ n"proportion": to Hip L'ciH'riil rate* cnlloctiM hv 'the smii.iM exceeding £1(100. arid /is i.ntlie pound foi a sum exceeding £IOOO, witlrn nunimuin of £500; and i\"inax'w liniK.'ftf ; fo

lccoivo a subsidy of 108 in tlio pound lales amoifnting up io £SOO, and Gs in {ho pound on laigor aunts, with' a minimum of £l5O and a maximum, of £SOO, Town districts are.to receivers in.tlio 'pound.'or'ratos up' to' £7CO, an'cl 2a (id in-: thk;pouJul"bir lai'gcr :sums)::\vitlr'a; miui-■ mum of £lß7lo3'and a maximum of £450. A further .sum equal to onefourth of the at?grcgalo amount required to be paid to the Boftrd' of Worl(9j bo apportioned among local bodies, subject to: I lie disadvantages specified in Class 111, to bo expended ill , the ; miiintoiiaiico;"and-; repair ;of; sUchjoads. and. bridges as tlio Board directs and upon construction works specially authorised by the Boai'd, ■ ; ■*;■;■.