MAIN HIGHWAYS BILL

Southland Times, Issue 19658, 7 October 1922, Page 11 (Supplement)

MAIN HIGHWAYS BILL

PROTECTION OF SOUTHERN RIGHTS. MOTOR UNION S EFFORT. (Special to the Times.) CRRISTCHURCH. October a. The South Island is making strenuous efforts to obtain separate recognition under the main Highways Bilk and the credit for the unanimity with which the local bodies interested are making their demands must be given to the South Island Motor Union. The Union has sent delegates to the various conferences, and from the first has fought "tooth and nail” for the conservation of the southern rights in connection with rhe proposed highways measure, for it is feared that if the south remained passive the effect of the Bill would be to give an unfair advantage to the North Island. In the furtherance of this agitation the secretary of the South Island Motor Union to-day sent the following letter to all members of Parliament in the South Island:— “I understand that the proposed Main Highways Bill will come before Parliament in the next few days, and I am directed to bring under your notice, and ask your support for. the following points in connection with the same:—(l) That there be separate Road Boards for each island. (2* That a fair allocation of the money collected from the tyre tax to be alloted to each island, based on the number of motor vehicles in each island. My Union is representative of all the Automobile and Motor Associations in the South island from Nelson and Marlborough to the Bluff, comprising twelve associations and clubs with a membership of between 5000 and 6000. All of these associations are absolutely unanimous on these two points. The motorists are quite willing to be taxed for the purpose of providing better roads, but as motorists of one island seldom or never use the roads of the other they want to be sure that the money they provide is spent on the improvement of the roads they use. This is a matter that has been discussed time after time by’ all motor organisations in this island, and they have all arrived at the same conclusion, that the only fair and practicable way of ensuring this is as suggested. My Union considers it very important that there should be two Boards to carry out the work, as their operations will cover’.a very large area and the conditions in the north are in most cases very different from those in the south; and further, that if the work is to be carried out expeditiously and efficiently there is plenty of work for ihe two Boards.”