DISAPPOINTED COUNCIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20407, 8 November 1929, Page 17

DISAPPOINTED COUNCIL.

ROADS IN THE BACK-BLOCKS. MINISTER'S ACTION CRITICISED. [BY TELEGH A I'M. OWN COTiIIESrOXUENT. ' P AERO A, Thursday. Opinions that the Minister of Public Works, Hon. E. A. Ransom, was not living up to his gospel of better roads for the back-blocks were expressed at a meeting of the Ohinemuri County Council to-day. Earlier in the year the council, at the invitation of the department, submitted its road metalling requirements for inclusion in the departmental estimates. Among these were proposals for metalling 17 by-roads at an estimated cost of £12,700, on which the council requested a pound for pound subsidy. Ihe money was to be raised over special lating areas in the usual manner. Discussing the merits of the request in a letter read at the meeting to-day, the Minister said there appeared little doubt that tho Government would bo justified in granting the customary pound for pound subsidy for metalling, and he would be quite prepared to favourably consider the provision of a subsidy oil that basis when the necessary funds could he made available. The total amount involved, however, represented a considerable sum, and as any amounts authorised for these works would be a charge against the council s annual allocation, it was quite possible that the subsidies would have to be spread over a number of years. "In the meantime," continued the Minister's letter, " the applications submitted by tho council in connection with the main estimates for the current year are sufficient to absorb the total cash allocation, and in view of this no benefit would accrue from the inclusion of further items for tho works mentioned on tho Supplementary Estimates. I regret to state, therefore, that it is not possible for me to agree to the provision of any funds for these roads this year, but the matter will receive further consideration when next year's Estimates arc being prepared." Commenting on the Minister's refusal of the council's request, the chairman, Mr. Colin Mason, said the item in the annual statement -of the Public Works Department that had interested him most was tho Minister's declaration that tho. Government should give greater financial assistance toward the cost of metalling hack-blocks roads. The Minister had been very definite about this, and had inferred that greater assistance would not bo long in coining. This made the disappointment of the council the keener.

This view was strongly endorsed by other members and it was decided to telegraph to tho Minister urgently asking whether the chairman would have time to personally represent the council's viewpoint to the Minister before tho closing of Parliament.