GOOD ROADS POLICY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLL, Issue 13305, 14 February 1914, Page 10

GOOD ROADS POLICY.

Road-making -has occupied a good deal of attention m Canada • lately. In Quebec Province, where hitherto there j has been a Ministry . of Agriculture and Roads, .tho work entailed by the Good Roads Act of 1912 has necessitated the division of the Department and .the creation of another Minister. The Hon. J. E. . Caron, formerly Minister for Agriculture and Roads,. Avill hold the hew;,portfolio of Roads, and Mr J; A;, -Messier, M.P.P. for Three Rivers, -a lawyer who has been m politics, for about ~10 years; been appointed Minister for Agriculture. Tae Good Roads -Act authorised the contracting'of a loan of £2,000,000, but -owing 'to the universal depreciation of securities which began to be apparent immediately after the passing of the Act, and especially with regard t0. 4 per cent, issues, it- was not- deemed; Advisable to place the debentures on tho mar--ket,'and the. Government advanced for tlie time the total sum actually required; amounting to £25,000, to the municipalities. The Act was subsequently amended so as to provide that the Government should supply the necessary funds to tho municipalities _ upon a: ■' promise on their, part to pay annually. 2 per cent, interest on the sums advanced. It Avas recently estimated that at least £400,000 would be required to be advanced to the municipalities to pay for tho work to be done during' one season. Accordingly the Government, through the Bank of Montreal m London, effected a loan for £400,000 by {he issuorof forty-one years' 4| ' per cent, inscribed stock. The policy, of the Government has been most successful and municipalities m 6very direction m the province have passed"** by-laAVs authorising the borroAvlng of money from the Governtnent for a period of years -for the purpose of road-makihg. The great trunk roads at present' under construction or! .projected are those from' Montreal td Quebec, from Slierbrooke- to 'the' Derby' Lino Road, and ' froni\ Montreal to Rosas Point. The Quebec Government 'realises the importance of the good roads policy, m Avhich it has been loyally supported by the municipalities concerned.