FRANKLIN COUNTY ROADS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20985, 23 September 1931, Page 12

FRANKLIN COUNTY ROADS.

Sir, —C.F.E. and others who have written about the state of Lewis' Road, Karaka, arc sotting the County Council a pretty stiff problem in asking that the road should bo metalled without a loan being raised for the purpose. To metal nil tho clay roads—there are far more miles of clay than of surfaced roads in tho county—would mean increasing the rates far beyond the capacity of tho settlers to pay, even with prices at the level of what they were three years ago. Unfortunately, also, settleis on clay roads havo just as heavy valuations, and pay jusfc as much in rales as do those on surfaced roads. This state is not eon-fined to Franklin and is probably worse in other places. Still the problem has to be met and overcome somehow if New Zealand is going to get out of her present difficulty by increasing her exports. It seems to mo that the so-called main highways, which are simply picking the eyes out of the railway traffic, should have a spell for several years, and the wholo proceeds of petrol tax, tyro tax, etc., be devoted to surfacing the very many miles of roads similar to the one over which the correspondence has takea place. Super-roads are not necessary, but a reasonable all-weather access is indispensable. It might be necessary to increase the petrol tax or find additional funds to do tho job, but we are likely to have a large number of unemployed for severaj years, and it would be far better to spend money on work of this description than to fritter it away on unprofitable railways, or to make it still harder for the railways to compete on an equitahlo basis. Besides, it. is not the slightest uso opening fresh country unless decent access to it is provided. . J.M.