DISTRICT HIGHWAYS COUNCIL.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18622, 18 July 1930, Page 3

DISTRICT HIGHWAYS COUNCIL.

MEETING IN TIMARU. ESTIMATES CONSIDERED. The No. 15 Highways Council met in the Levels County offices yesterday to consider ‘ estimates for the ensuing year. Those present were:—Messrs F. Langbein (chairman), T. Smith, and D. Jeune (Mackenzie), K. McKenzie and C. E. Bremner (Geraldine), W. T. i (Ashburton;. T. B. Garrick and G. Black (Levels). J. Bitchener M.P. and L. J. Collins (Waimate). Election of Chairman. Mr Langbein intimated that his term of office as chairman expired on June 30th, and the election of his successor was now due. He thanked the members for the way in which they had worked with him for the good of the Council during the past year. The secretary .Mr W. McNamara, took the chair, and invited nominations to one vacancy. Mr Lill proposed and Mr Garrick seconded, that Mr Langbein be reelected chairman for the ensuing year. There being no other nominations Mr Langbeir. was declared elected amid applause Ashburton Discontent. On an invitation from the chairman for a discussion of any matters arising out of the minutes Mr Lill said. ‘’The minutes are quite correct, but the things arising out of them are anything but right. I want to make a point about the money the Highways Board granted at the last meeting. From my standpoint and from my county’s standpoint things are anything but satisfactory, in fact unless there is going to be some drastic system different from what we have got, I think there will be a civil war so far as I am concerned in the Ashburton County. It is all very nice for you fellows who meet here to concoct things, but take my points. It is enough to worry a man so far as they are concerned. The mileage that was given to somp of the other councils is altogether out of all proportion from any of the points from which you I ke to view it. One of my points is that my county is finding so much revenue and is getting so little out of the Main Highways Board: and my Council are dissatisfied. We have been hire for five years and there has been got out of the Ashburton County £77.000 odd and we have received £46.000 from the board, leaving a difference of £31,500. We cannot keep on contributing this amount of money and getting so little cut of it. We have let- a bridge costing £20.252 and as we have contributed £31,000 more tuan we havt? received the position is that this money is paying for r,hat bridge, and consequently the County is bearing the cost of that structure and also paying for a portion of their works. The Highways Board so far as the Ashburton County is concerned has been a total failure. We fought fur the board single-handed for a few r.-rnths. and I thought it was going to help us more than it has helped us. Unless there is goins: to be some coherent method of raising money r -*r l.iphways and of spending more in proportion t" the amounts contributed by each county, Ashburton will have no peace on earth. I can see where it is going to land us. You take the highways either by revenue or mileage and you

] will find we are a long way beyor I the average. No. 15 has the large list of highways and secondary higj ways. Look ac the Public Worl Statement and you will see that N 15 tops the list in mileage. It is alarn ing We have more mileage than mo oi the boards in the Dominion. Mr Garrick: Mere mileage in tl highways district or the whole ( Ashburton? Mr Lill: In the whole group. I ha\ gone into it, and Christchurch hi 30 miles. From Rakaia to the Wa taki you have 100 miles. We have tremendous scope pf country. I ha\ tried to puzzle out the position but cannot see where we are getting t With all due respect I don’t think Asl burton has had a fair run. It hi been suggested that we should divic the County up and mark it as a or horse show business, and I have fougl this with all the energy and power have. Ashburton can be better mail tained far better undivided than by division. According to some politiciar the land we have is only for the ta: ing machine. Mr McKenzie raised a point of orde in that Mr Lill’s theme did not aris “ut of the minutes. He had not tol the meeting what it was he desired t bring up so far as the minutes wer concerned. Mr Lill: I admit perhaps I have sai some silly things, but Ashburton muj have more highways or must be sup plied with more money in satisfactio for the money she provided. The chairman said this matter ha recently been brought up by the As! burton County and he was requeste to place it before the Main Highway Board. He reported the reply in letter to the Ashburton County Cour cil. Regarding the mileage rates, the had recently lost the Waitakl Count} and excluding this County, there w'a nothing very much in Ashburton’s fa\ our. Addressing Mr Lill the chairmai asked: “Have you worked out the mile age rates of roads and capital value It reduces what you claim to some thing like 40 miles. Your contentio] about revenue from Ashburton, if have the matter correctly, is that yoi will be £30.000 out of pocket. You s*r Ashburton contributes £77,000 and yoi only receive back by way of subsid £46.000 leaving a debit of £31,000 odd Mr McKenzie: That is their owi fault. The chairman: In making out tha statement did you bear in mind £7.50' you are spending on your bridge seven miles of paving in the coursi of preparation. The cost of these tw< items is £52.000. at least. Ashburtoi will have received considerably mori than has been paid. Mr Lill: I am referring back, bu you are going forward. Mr Garrick: You are going to be oi the wrong side of the ledger in i; months. Mr Bitchener: From my reading o: the expenditure up to the present, th( future looks rosy for Ashburton. Th< position in the past very largely ha: been that they have been wanting i £4 to £1 subsidy, but in the course of i year or two they will be in a gooc position, and I won’t mind. They won’' want anything extra in a year or two and they will be on a good wicket Great provision has been made foi Ashburton for the next year or so unless you are going to cry out for i redistribution of Main Highways. ] don’t see how you are going to ge l any more. You have not a hope o: getting any more—the money is noi there. THE ESTIMATES. The Council then proceeded to consider the estimates for the year. The chairman said it would be observed that the allocation for the district was £47,000. He did not thin* they were going to arrive anywhere near that this year. The total applications were £80,955. being a good dea! more than the allocations. He thoughl if they went through the items thej would see just where they were, anc they might be able to cut down the applications to get as near the allocations as possible. With regard tc Geraldine, tenders had been called foi the ere tion of the Cooper’s Creek Waihi and Winchester bridges, and £4OOO would have to be provided for this contract. Other proposals were reviewed, and those which could be deferred, such as paving Deep Creek, Waimate, Waihac Downs, £16,000; and one or two other items were deferred, and the estimates reduced to £57,458, or £IO,OOO in excess of the allocations. The following items were approved: Levels County.—Arowhenua-Pareora paving, £5.250; Arowhenua Bridge, filling in approach, £80; Lower Pareora bridge, fencing and protective works, £267; Tengawai bridge. near Cave, boulder groynes, £167; Day’s and Sutherland’s motor bridges. £240; Tengawai. river protection works at O’Connell’B, £666; total £6670. Mackenzie County.—Timaru-Qileons-town via Tekapo and Lindis Pass, concrete culvert, £167; GeraldineFairlie, via White’s Corner. culvert Cattle Valley. £167; Albury Township, road diversion, £3OOO, to be allocated after March 31st. total £3334. Waimate County. Pareora-Deep Creek paving. £22.000; Horseshoe Bend realignment, £1500; Woolshed Gully Creek Bridge, £6OO (after March 31st); total £24.433. So far as maintenance subsidies go. the allocations were £42.000 and the applications £43,240, and these were approved. Of this amount £4405 is to be distributed as follows:—PareoraWaitaki river, £1338; ChristchurchDunedin Main Highway to Waihao Downs. £980; experimental section, Waimate-Christchurch-Dunedin. £170; Main Otipua Road, £430; Waimate-Hunter-Makikihi. £477; Waihao Downs Wright’s Bridge via Hakataramea, £820; Waimate-Studholme Junction. £l9O. Other items beyond this amount were: Kakahu Road (Geraldine), £3O; Timaru-Queenstown via Tekapo and Lindis Pass, £133; Temuka Borough, Christchurch-Dunedin Main Highway. £47; Temuka-Ciandeboye Secondary Highways, £6O; Waimate, Queen Street George Road, £347; High Street 'Waimate, £lls.