CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS

Taranaki Daily News, 23 November 1932, Page 9

CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS

PUBLIC WORKS ACTIVITIES

PAST YEAR’S ACHIEVEMENTS.

MUCH DEVELOPMENT WORK DONE. RET .TFT WORK LABOUR UTILISED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night, “In the development of any young Dominion an important adjunct, if not the most important, is the construction of a complete network of roads to bring all land into production and within easy reach of the market,” states the section on road construction included in the Public Works Statement presented to the House of Representatives to-day by the acting-Minister of Public Works, the Hon. C. E. Macmillan. “The past financial year saw, this desirable goal brought a step nearer. “Several areas of new land were maae available for settlement by the construction of new roads, and the position of settlers on partly developed land unproved by metalling existing roads, continues the report. “A total sum of £1,465,237 was expended during the year on the construction of roads and highways, as against £2,233,428 for the preceding year. Of this amount roads other than main highways accounted for £1,082,210 and main highways £383,027, compared with £1,475, and £757,906 for .1930-31. “It would not be out of, place to state here that great benefit Was derived from an allocation of £50,000 appropriated out of petrol tax funds and expended on the metalling of backblock roads. “During the year the unemployment situation became increasingly difficult, and a large amount of development work was carried out by relief workers. The reduction of costs resulted in the completion of a proportionately larger amount of work than is revealed by a comparison of this years expenditure with that of former years. “The restoration of earthquake damage necessitated considerable expenditure on roads, and, where possible, unemployed relief workers have been engaged on this work. There is still a considerable amount of work to be done in providing metalled access to all occupied lands, and early completion has been hampered by the unprecedented financial . conditions. . “Local bodies have had their revenue decreased in sympathy with the serious drop in the prices of our primary products, being affected in at least two ways, firstly, in an endeavour to assist their ratepayers they have reduced their rates, and secondly, the rates even when so reduced have not been paid m & considerable proportion of the cases. “The result of the drop in revenue has been that less money is available- for spending in the upkeep of the roads and highways. However, I think it can be fairly said that the local bodies have carried on as efficient maintenance of the roads under their control as the lesser amount of finance would permit. “The separate vote for roads on goldfields was abolished as from March 31, 1931, but the sum of £4498 was voted in the ordinary roads vote for expenditure on roads on goldfields for the current “The balances of the unexpended authorities at March 31, 1931, and those issued during the year amounted to £2752, of which the sum of £2487 was expended. “As usual , all applications for assistance in this direction were carefully investigated, and, having regard, to the necessity for curtailing expenditure as far as possible, assistance was granted in those cases where the results or the investigations warranted it.”