SECONDARY ROADS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23208, 30 November 1938, Page 16

SECONDARY ROADS

MAINTENANCE EXPENDITURE GOVERNMENT x AID SOUGHT ,]>Rolt OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT] BUTARURTJ, Tuesday Replies to letters sent to both the Minister of Transport, the Hon. It. Semple, and the Minister of Finance, the Hon. W. Nash, recommending that county expenditure on secondary roads be subsidised b.y at least 50 per cent, were received at tho quarterly meeting at Tirau of the Itotorua executive Of the New Zealand Farmers' Union. The Minister of Finance said that an arbitrary method of allocating reading 'subsidies had little to commend it. There were numerous instances where roading expenditure was already being subsidised -by more than £1 for £l. The present system allowed for greater elasticity than that which was suggested- by the executive. The Minister of Transport's reply stated that the executive s representations would receive full consideration. Tho chairman, Mr. K. S; Cox, said that public works grants were made for roading, but these were for capital expenditure, and not maintenance. Roads on which they were to bo spent were stipulated by the Government, whereas in many cases county councils did not agree that the money was being put to best use by spending it oil roads named. It was decided to reply to the Minister of Finance that the executive recommended that county councils be paid a £1 for £1 subsidy on expendi* lure for maintenance of secondary roads and not on capital expenditure.