COST OF MAIN ROADS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 560, 12 January 1929, Page 10

COST OF MAIN ROADS

TAURANGA WANTS INCREASED PETROL TAX MATAMATA COUNCIL CAUTIOUS (From Our Own Carrespondent) PUTARURU, Friday. Members of the Matamata County Council expressed themselves very emphatically against the nationalisation of main highways at to-day’s meeting:, when the Tauranga County Council requested support for a resolution which expressed alarm at the ever-increasing: burden upon ratepayers, and called upon the Government to increase the petrol-tax or other direct taxation for the upkeep of main roads. The chairman, Cr. S. TI. Judd, stated that the resolution was rather vague. The Tauranga County Council had previously expressed itself as being in favour of the nationalisation of main roads, and this might be behind “he present suggestion. Cr. Allen: The best thing that could happen, too. Cr. Cox objected, stating nationalisation would result in "strings being pulled,” while counties would not be able to keep up their present staffs. Cr. Allen explained that he meant the Government should find the cost. Cr. Cox: If the Public Works Department found the cost they would want to do the work, and they are too costly. Roads would cost three times as much under them. The. engineer. Mr. M. E. P'itzger; J 1. explained that without Government subsidies the council could not keep its present efficient plant. A motorgrader was employed on the main road between Tirau and Cambridge which did the by-roads in its spare time. If the backbone of its work were taken away the cost of maintaining • the grader for the by-roads would be prohibitive. Being fearsome of supporting anything which tended toward nationalisation of roads, the council unanimously decided to obtain more information from Tauranga before supporting the resolution.