HIGHWAY FINANCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20076, 13 October 1928, Page 10 (Supplement)

HIGHWAY FINANCE.

MOTOR TAX YIELD. Contributions to the revcnuo fund of the Main Highways Board during 192728 totalled £688,980, of which nearly 95 per cent, was motorists' money, the proceeds of petrol tax, tyro duties, and annual liccnso fees. It is difficult to understand why motorists have only one voice on a board of six in the expenditure of those funds. Tho Main Highways Board consists of three officers of tho Public Works Department, two representatives of the county councils, and one nominee of tho automobile associations, Mr. M. H. Wynyard. Whon the petrol tax was introduced, tho automobile associations hoped they would be allowed a second member to represent tho South Island. Following were tho contributions to the Highway Board's revcnuo found during the last three years:—. 1927-28 1926-27 1925-26 £ £ £ From Consolidated Fund 35,000 35,000 35.000 Tyro taxes . . • . 219,653 188,450 223,609 Reg. and license fees . . . . 303.861 233.963 78,038 Motor spirit tax . . 130,461 £683.980 £507,413 £336.737 While the contributions to roading from motor taxation are increasing thero is a tendency for those of the local bodies to fall. Maintenance subsidies aro more generous, and it.is now thought that the maximum expenditure to bo expected from local body funds is now about £270,000 a year. In 1926-27 tho local authorities found £276,349 for maintenance, but in 1927-28 they provided only £269,065 of the £792,646 used in tho maintenance of primary highways. The Highways Board, therefore, found two-thirds of tho money used in the year, or £2 for £l, as compared with an averago of about £1 12s for £1 in 1926-27.

The total expenditure by the board and local authorities on both maintenance and construction in 1927-28 was £1,505,088. The outlay was as follows MAINTENANCE. Local Board's body eharo share Total £ £ £ North Inland - • 346,962 188,142 53i),104 South Island .. 176,619 80.923 257,542 Dominion . . . £523,581 £269,005 £792,640 CONSTRUCTION. Local Board's body share share Total £ £ £ North Inland .. 362,261 224.670 586,931 South Island .• 87,643 37.5G8 120,01 l Dominion . . .. £149,904 £262,538 £712,442 SPLINTERLESS GLASS.

The use of unsplinterable glass may yet become compulsory in omnibus bodywork. Tho high cost of tho material is a barrier to universal adoption at present, but several cars aro being produced with unsplinterable windshields. When splinterless glass can be produced at much lower prices licensing authorities all over tho world will no doubt insist on its use. In omnibus accidents more people aro injured by flying glass than by crushing. Several British car manufacturers aro offering their saloon and coupo models with splinterless glass all round at an extra charge. Several British bus organisations havo experimented with splinterless glasses and costs will fall substantially as soon as tho demand results in largo production. At present car manufacturers are hesitating to increase the cost of their products against competitors, but just as tho extra cost of four wheel brakes was appreciated by motorists so will the initiative of tho pioneers of "safety glass" bo supported even at tho penalty of extra cost. EXPENSIVE MAINTENANCE. Main road maintenance in New Zealand is costing an averago of £ll9 18s a mile annually. This is moro than double the expenditure obtaining before tho Main Highwavs Board camo into existence. Tho standard of maintenance can hardly be said to havo increased in direct proportion to the expenditure per mile as tho number of vehicles has increased about 70 per cent, with consequent increase in road usage and danger Maintenance costs must rise as the number of transport units increases, but tho assist ance which local bodies havo received from tho Highways Board has tnado it possible to keep ahead of tho increase in traffic, and generally improvo conditions. Recently it has been found that where the traffic density is greatest, an outlay of even £3OO or "£4OO a milo on a maca dam road does not maintain a satisfactory suriace. • Tho result is that tar sealing programmes havo been evolved for road* such as the highway to Hamilton. Maintenance expenditure is stabilising to some extent due to more scientific methods. As tho mileage of high class road increases maintenance costs should fall. Much money has been wasted in Now Zealand through the expensive maintenance of roads which required total reconstruction In loading tho first cost is never the last, but an ambitious programme is an assurance that future costs will be low. With 170,000 registered motor vehicles on less than 50.G00 miles of highways and roads, New Zealand has a great deal of traffic damage to pay for and tho maintenance of cheap roads is Inevitably expensive.