BETTER SIDE ROADS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 664, 16 May 1929, Page 11

BETTER SIDE ROADS

MINISTER’S OBJECTIVE HINT OF HIGHER TAXATION Press Association BLENHEIM, Today. Tlie Hon. E. A. Ransom, Minister of Public Works, spent the morning in ! and around Blenheim, later departing I toward Nelson. He received a number | of deputations on local requirements. ! Replying* to a civic welcome, the Minister said in connection with the river protection scheme, that it was a pity that when some of these schemes started, some betterment system li +* not been introduced, so that landowners substantially benefiting Vy the protective or drainage scheme could be compelled to contribute for the benefit of those worse off. He could assure them that, in any new schemes such as that proposed in Manawatu, the principle of betterment would be put into operation before any assistance would be forthcoming from the Government. Mr. Ransom also touched on roading problems. He gave the Reform Administration full credit for the great improvements in roads of recent years, but in travelling round he realised there was still a great deal to be done for country roads and back roads, and that they would have to be tackled. He had been threatened that if he interfered with the petrol tax there would be a howl from all motor organisations, but he didn’t care much. It was obvious that there were many backblocks payers of the petrol tax who had not howled loud enough in the past. They required just as much consideration as those motorists who had the privilege of motoring over good bitumen roads.