MAIN HIGHWAYS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 375, 17 March 1932, Page 1

MAIN HIGHWAYS.

Kowai County Paving Still Held Up. EFFECT OF ECONOMY REPORT. Although the Main Highways Board and the Kowai County Council are strongly in favour of proceeding with the paving of the section of the Main North Road in the county, it has not yet been possible for the board to reach a decision in the matter owing to the demand made upon it by the Government that expenditure on construction work must be rigorously curtailed.

Mr C. J. Talbot, South Island member of the board, who arrived from W’ellington this morning after attending the monthly meeting of the board, said he still had hopes that it would be possible to proceed with the work, but a decision might not be reached until the report of the Econ-

omy Commission was dealt with by Parliament. Board’s Difficulties. The board at its meeting yesterday, he said, found itself in the position of having to curtail expenditure instead of deciding to proceed with new construction works, but the contracts already let in the Canterbury district would be proceeded with. At present the board did not know exactly where it stood in regard to its future activities. The Economy Commission had recommended that new construction should cease for the present and that no new works whatever should be undertaken during the present period of financial depression, and it had expressed the opinion that at least £500,000 a year from motor taxation should be made available to assist towards Budget equilibrium. Mr Talbot said he did not know how the commission arrived at the figure of £500,000 as the amount that could be transferred to the Consolidated Fund from the Highways Fund, but if that were done the board would have very great difficulty in continuing the maintenance of the existing highways at the present 'standard. The future policy of the board would be determined by the action taken by Parliament in regard to the recommendations of the Economy Commission. Rolleston-Rakaia Section. Mr Talbot said he was particularly keen that something should be done in regard to the Rolleston-Rakaia section of the Main South Road. In the present circumstances, however, it might not be possible to proceed with the paving of this section, and it was a matter for regret that the local bodies concerned had not availed themselves of the terms that were offered by the board some time ago. Possibly some cheaper form of paving would be devised for this section. The paying of the Rakaia-Dromore section will not be affected by any economies that are decided upon, as the contract for this work has been let and it is already in progress. The section of most interest to Canterbury motorists at the present time is that between the Ashley and the Waipara Rivers in the Kowai County, a distance

of approximately fifteen miles and a half. When this section is completed there will be permanent paving for a considerable distance north of the city, as a good deal of surfacing has been done in the Waipara County, north of the Kowai County.