The Waikato Independent. TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 1930. MAINTAINING THE ROADS.

Waikato Independent, Volume XXX, Issue 2315, 25 March 1930, Page 4

The Waikato Independent. TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 1930. MAINTAINING THE ROADS.

A half century ago one might have been called something more than a visionary had he the temerity to predict there would be such a revolution in transport as has' actually taken place. The motor has ousted other forms of transport with a vengeance, and the growth of such means of travel and carriage of goods in late years has been truly staggering. Those whose job it has been to care for the roads have had their work cut out to keep pace with the increasing strain. That so much has been achieved and that the condition of the Dominion roads has been, generally speaking, maintained at such a high standard, considering the amount of funds available, speaks well for the local authorities' management. With the coming of the Highways Board the local bodies were relieved to same extent, but the growth of motor traffic goes on more rapidly than ever, and the problem of how to find sufficient, funds to provide parallel roading progress and upkeep, is just as serious to-day as it was five years ago. The problem was seriously discussed at the monthly meeting of the Matamata County Council on Friday last, when the consensus of opinion was that if the roading authorities are to keep pace with the growth of traffic then more funds than are at present available will have to bo found. The trouble to-day is that owing to the greatly increased expenditure on main roads to carry modern traffic, local bodies have not the money to spend on the subsidiary roads, and it has got to be appreciated that the settler on the backblocks road is of greater importance to the progress of this Dominion than the through tourist. The Matamata County engineer, Mr M. E. Fitzgerald, made the position quite clear when ho stated that it would be premature to attempt a detailed forecast of expenditure for next year, but that it was not too early to foresee the necessity for earmarking less revenue moneys in the future for development. The engineer went on to •state that so far as the county was concerned the considerable sums received from the Highways Board did not fully compensate for the extra roading expenditure occasioned by increased motor traffic. There is no getting away from' the fact, as stated by Cr J. Bruce at the county meeting on Friday last, that the position is a serious one, and unless some other and more equitable provision is made then local bodies will have to ask their ratepayers to dip deeper into their pockets for funds for road maintenance. Other means have got to be found, for at the present time the outback settlors are aeavily loaded for main road maintenance from which they receive little benefit. With the general position quite a serious one, it is encouraging to note that the Minister of Public Works, Hon. E. A. Eansom, has a grasp of the situation and it is to be hoped that his views will* take more practical and tangible form in the near future. Mr Ransom says ho is going to see to it that the backblocks districts are served and that he intended to have £20,000 spent on roads for the outlying districts. The Minister was on the right track when he stated that one way out of the difficulty was to have a certain amount of the petrol tax allocated for baekblocks roads. He is also alive to the fact that this would very likely bring strong opposition from the automobile associations. Mr Eansom points out that should this occur then it might be possible to arrange so that the outlying districts should not be called on to pay for main roads. If- it was not possible to transfer more of the petrol tax to the side-roads then the Highways i Board would have to take over more of | the roads in the outlying districts. There is no getting away from the fact

that at the present local bodies arc living up to their limit in road maintenance, and much of the expenditure from ordinary revenue is due indirectly to the growth of motor traffic on the main roads. At the present time the average ratepayer is carrying a maximum load of rates for road maintenance and any additional will be like the last straw that broke the camel's back. In the Old Country the ratepayer is not called upon at all in the matter of rating for the maintenance of main loads. There the user of the road pays, and this seems to. be the only solution of the difficulty which this country is now facing. To-day throughout the Dominion a greater measure of primary progress is being urged, and it will be appreciated that during the past few years it has been rapid enough. We are asking men to go on the land and the cry is that more of the backblock areas should be brought into a higher producing condition. Tf we would have greater production through increased settlement then we have got to keep rates on the land down, and so if we would have better roads, then those that use them should pay, and this should have a special application to the person who uses the roads for the most part in pleasure. To relieve the local bodies of some of their responsibilities the Highways Board has got to have additional funds, and to make those funds available then the user of the road has got to foot the bill. The only way out of the difficulty seems to bo an increase in the petrol tax.