BACK COUNTRY ROADS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23218, 12 December 1938, Page 14

BACK COUNTRY ROADS

USE OF FIVE-YEAR PLAN WHANGAREI COUNTY COMPLAINT [_ : TELEGRAPH—OWN CORRESPONDENT] WHANGAREI, Saturday "The Minister of Public Works has made road grants outside those in the five-year plan," said Mr. J. A. S. Mackay, chairman, at a meeting of the Whangarei County Council. Letters were received from the Minister of Public Works, the" Hon. R. Semple, relative to the council's attitude toward the applications by settlers to the Minister for grant* for their access roads. "The council had, after going fully into the question, and at the request of the Minister, set out a list of roads in order of urgency for which grants were desired during a five-year period," continued Mr. Mackay. "The council has a full knowledge of the position of these various roads, a knowledge which the Minister liq£ not. There are about 50 roads which the council considers of greater urgency than the roads mentioned by the Minister." The opinion was expressed by other members of the council that if Government money could be obtained for roads outside the five-year plan then tli»» council should secure this extra money. It was finally resolved to seek information from the Public Works Department as to its attitude toward tho five-year plan and if this plan was still operative.