ROAD MAINTENANCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21414, 11 February 1933, Page 15

ROAD MAINTENANCE

Sir,—There seems to be a distinct conflict of opinion as to the obligation to construct and maintain roads. "Motorist," in bis letter of February 4. maintains that the various local authorities have "foiled in their duty" to provido him with a good road from Wellington to Auckland, although ho makes no suggestion as to why the same, bodies should not also maintain tho railway tracks, so that those who travel by rail could similarly have their transport costs reduced. On the other hand, "A Ratepayer" complains on February 8 that the road in his district is torn to pieces by motor traffic, and he objects to the resulting cost of £4OOO being imposed on himself and his neighbouring ratepayers. In the same issue of the Herald tho North Island Motor Union complain that motorists pay more than enough to keep the roads in order, and that road deterioration and tho lag in bridge construction is due to their contributions being diverted elsewhere. Against this the Herald of January 28 reports a meeting of 150 ratepayers in Hamilton, who demand "the abolition of the present inequitable and unjust system of rating for roading purposes, and the substitution therefor of a system based on the principle that the user pays." The motor contention also seems to be contrary to the news in the Herald of February 4, that the Government will pay £BOOO toward the £24,000 for the new traffic bridge at Hamilton, the rest being found by the three adjacent local bodies, but there was no corresponding announcement that these four contributors were giving anything to refund the cost of the railway bridge for the benefit of those who cross the Waikato River by train. The last report of the Transport Department states that the total expenditure on roads, streets, footways and bridges for the previous year was £9,180,000, of which local ratepayers met 34 per cent, taxpayers 15 per cent, motors 21 per cent, and loans 30 per cent. It would be interesting if somebody could reconcile these contradictory contentions, one side maintaining that motors |«iy more than enough to meet the cost of roads and bridges, and the other side continually asking for derating, in order to be' relieved of the cost of roads for moto£ transport*