MAIN ROADS UPKEEP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18117, 15 June 1922, Page 8

MAIN ROADS UPKEEP.

DECISIONS OF CONFERENCE. SPIRIT OF COMPROMISE. GOOD RESULTS EXPECTED. "The Main Roads Conference called by the Minister for Public Works in Weilington last week had very good results in giving rival interests the opportunity of hearing, each other's views, and a spirit of compromise enabled those present to come to common ground on the important question of the application of the funds," said the president of tne Good Roads Association, Mr. M. H. Wynyard, yesterday. He said the proposals in this direction were briefly that about £160,000 of the fund should be available to increase the present subsidies to counties to 5s in the £ on a sliding scale, the excess amount to be expended on main traffic roads in the counties under the direction of the board. The subsidy was to extend to road and town districts and for boroughs traversed by an arterial road. The balance of the fund would be available for the general construction and maintenance of the main arterial roads by the board, with provision for borrowing money for construction and for some special allowance to those counties which had made tar scaled roads up to the modern standard, and for grants to the larger boroughs if considered necessary. The resolutions passed favoured one oombincd board, half of the members acting as a separate entity for the North Island, and the other half for the South Island, the counties and motoring interests, as well as the Crown, being represented on the joint board. The request for two boards came most strongly from the South Island, the North being generally favourable to one board for the whole Dominion. The matters still left open, but on which the views of the delegates were given, included the allocation of the funds between the two islands, the proposal voiced being based on a consideration of the number of motor vehicles registered in each island, and the respective mileages of the main highways. "X feel satisfied," concluded Mr. Wynyard, "that if the same spirit of compromise is introduced into the settlement of the outstanding questions as was evident at the recent meeting, a measure will be evolved which, while not perhaps satisfying everybody, will at all events have the support of" the large majority of the population, and mark a distinct advance in main road administration and finance."