FUNDS FOR ROADS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21791, 4 May 1934, Page 10

FUNDS FOR ROADS

PETROL TAXATION

MONEY FROM PROCEEDS POSSIBILITY OF INCREASE INDICATION BY 1 ' MINISTER [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WHANGAHEI, Thursday The suggestion that more money was likely to be made available in the near future to the Main Highways Board from the proceeds of the petrol taxation was made by the Hon. J, Bitchener, Minister of Public Works, in reply to representations to-day from the Whangarei County "Council, which urged that all the revenue received from motor taxation should be restored to the Main Highways Fund so that land could be relieved from rating for road purposes. "It must be apparent to Ministers of the Crown that the present system of rating for roading purpcfees is rapidlv breaking down under its own weight," said Mr. J. A. S. Mackay. "The first to realise ihe inequity of the system seems to have been the Government itself, which refuses to pay rates on the very large areas of land it owns. The native people also find it impossible to pay rates for roading purposes on their lands, and with the diminishing number of ratepayers willing or able to pay t the burden becomes unbearable on the renviinder." Million Pounds Taken Mr. Mackay mentioned cases of large areas in his own riding, which had been sold to ijhe Crown and subdivided about five.years ago. Before that time, he said, hardly a penny had ever been due, for rates, but since the Crown has taken it over hardly a penny ha_d been received in rating. He went on to trace the history of petrol taxation, pointing out that originally the Consolidated Fund had contributed to the Main Highways Funds. Then, in 1928 this contribution had been - withdrawn and in the past year the Main Highways Board had received' only £600,000 from petrol taxation, £1,000,000 having been taken from the fund for purposes other than roading. "We are not asking for total derating and we are not asking for further taxation," Mr. Mackay concluded, "All we are asking is that the' toll placed on users of the roads should be used for the purpose for which it was levied, namely, the maintenance and construction of the roads." Mr. Bitchener's Reply

"Throughout the country, .and especially in the North, I hear of the burden of rates on settlers," said Mr. Bitchener in reply. '"The question of petrol taxation is one in which I am particularly interested, since I was a member of the committee which brought' down the report originally suggesting it. There are some politicians who think all its proceeds should go to the Consolidated Fund to be applied in whatever way relief is needed, but I am not one of these." ' j

Expressing the opinion that recent deputations on the subject of retaining more of the petrol tax for the Main Highways Board had received a sympathetic hearing. Mr. Bitchener said ho felt that the council could rest assured that very soon more money be made available to the Highways Board.

> —— REQUIREMENTS IN NORTH REPLY TO DEPUTATION POSITION OF DEPARTMENT [BT TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL REPORTER] , "WHANGAREI, Thursday . Several works, which it was suggested were suitable as unemployment relief schemes to be undertaken by the Public" Works Department, were sub'mifcted to the Hon. J. Bitchener, Minister of Public Works, by the Whangarei County Council to-day. Pointing out that the formation and metalling of these roads would afford much-needed relief to a large number of settlers, enabling them to get cream and produce out in the early spring and during adverse weather conditions, Mr. L. Webb, chairman of'the council, said it would not be possible or advisable in general for his council to contribute toward - the _ suggested schemes since,. under the present conditions, it was not possible to find rate revenues to engage generally in new works and at the same time maintain existing metalled roads at an economic standard.

"We may in some cases have to do fewer works on a larger proportionate subsidy," said Mr. Bitchener in reply, referring to the difficulties stated to be experienced by county councils in securing the subsidy on a pound for pound basis. "We expect local bodies to do what they can to help themselves. bu6 we. cannot ask the impossible." '

Mr. Bitchener went on to express the opinion that the grant made to his department would almost certainly be no larger than last year's and might be a little less. However, he wished to help local bodies to the , best of his power and requested their co-opera-tion, in consultation with the public works engineers, to submit their requests iu order of urgency. "The Public Works Department has more men metalling roads throughout the Dominion than ever before in New Zealand's history," said Mr. Bitchener. "We have over 2000 men engaged in providing all-weather access to settlers. It will always be mv policy to think of the man in the mud first." LAST STAGE OF TOUR VISIT TO RODNEY COUNTY [BY TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL REPORTER] WHANGAREI. Thursday _On the final stage of his tour of North Auckland countias the Hon. -J. Bitchener, Minister of Public Works, will- proceed to-morrow from Whangarei to Wirkworth, where he will spend the night. During the; day he will inspect roads in the Rodney County, and he mil be the guest of' the Rodney County Council at dinner in the evening. - The Minister, will return to Auckland on Saturday afternoon and on Sunday evening will leave for the South. To-day he met 'the Whangarei County Council in the morning and, although bad weather made it impossible for him to traverse some of the routes originally intended for inspection, he passed through the Ruatangata and Wairua Government developmental blocks in the afternoon with Mr. A. J. Murdoch, M.P. for Marsden, and Mr. R. H. P. Romayne, district public works engineer.