ROAD CONSTRUCTION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 370, 13 September 1930, Page 6

ROAD CONSTRUCTION

EXPENDING RELIEF MONEYS “TOO MANY BYBOADB" COUNCILLOR ADVOCATES MAIN ROUTES. That unemployment relief labour should bo applied to main and secondary highways in preference to little used back roads was an opinion expressed at the Wanganui County Council meeting yesterday by Cr. T. Mitchell. Ho said that he had asked why that had not been done before and had been told that the Government’s policy was to subsidise unemployed on back roads only. He had since read of Mr W. J. Polson asking the question in the House why they were not put on to highways and the Minister replied that £50,000 had already been spent this year in that direction. “Probably the roads the Minister referred to were under Government control,” said the clerk (Mr G. Darbyshire). He said that the county had had men employed about Mt. View but the Department had made them come off. Work on Main Highways could only be done with the sanction of the Highways Board, and in that instance, apparently, that class of work had not j been approved. ’ Cr. A. Collins said that the Government would subsidise £2 for £1 for construction work on roads that were not. highways. What he wanted to know was why the same should not apply to highways. Mr Derbyshire: They are see sawing back and forwards between the two Departments. The £2 for £1 is applicable to public works and unless there is some special arrangement with tho Highways Board the relief subsidy is not paid on the main roads. But the trouble is highway work is not being approved because the Board has no money. The Minister was probably quite right when he said relief work had been done on main roads, but they would be roads under Government control and the local body would not come into it. “But why don’t they employ these relief workers to improve the main roads?” Cr. Mitchell asked. “The county is getting miles and miles of back roads handed over and there are no rates to be collected from them. If relief workers were put on to main roads we would have the rates to maintain them. Cr. W. E. Broderick: The sooner these two Departments come together the better. Cr. Mitchell referred to the Mangawhero Road which had been adversely criticised by Mr G. V. Pearce at the last Automobile Association meeting, y He (Cr. Mitchell) contended that it would havo been a much wiser plan to improve the lower end of the Parapara. Cr. Collins: I am against the Mangawhero Road for the same reason as Cr. Mitchell, but you can’t get away from tho fact that it will be the best graded road for stock. The matter lapsed.