MAIN HIGHWAYS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 145, 20 June 1936, Page 8

MAIN HIGHWAYS

THE WANGANUI AREA 1 t MEETING OF DISTRICT COUNCIL D ' WIDER SCOPE OF WORK f STATE POLICY CLEAR ' Government policy with icgard to tue taking over ui main an, wA1 a* ruaus uau ovex-Xxuxiig uc yvSvC4.ua/ b annual ci cue in o. O lAoviict Xx igu„ay o I ci., wiiicn viuuxuccs me uiscnuc I cuvereu uy tne x'avea, vvuivuuaia, , wanganui, n-augiuKei ana vyamialillQ uolLuty uudaCxiS, JjSUlhUvvS uioiea iDmuatea mac me worn cunbeuipiatea uuring the coming I yea r ls wiaer in ivs tcope maxi mtnerto. Elimination of railway crossings in most cases oy tue erection uL°u\tiiead bridges, in others by cuusiruclmu road deviatious, ligured mrgeiy m t u e , proposals reeuiuuicuded tu the Main iliguwuys Board lur cxeuutiou. \y neu the taking over ui main nignways wjjj oe put nuo effect, auj jusi wuu L bearmg that will Have on various local ouuits could not be made civar, the assumption being that inc btuie wuu.u mkc control ux specified routes iinmeui ately the legislation pusovo inc Bugt.>lative Uuuucn. it was cv.Geni t. lul mo counties represented were nut clear as tu wuat tne p<diu. would be in regard tu lue dcuiamliuL uf luitiier mam niguwajs aud as lu the rates ol pay applicaule iu the luturu. Ibc guiicrui assumption was that the i’ubuc Works rate, .»used on a general labourer’s wage o. , a ll: ,, would be operative lor tue oasis ox subsidy, but whether conhict would develop as between resturauou o. “cuts” as I’roui July 1 and tue stauuard rate and wuietber the matter wou.d be iurtuvr confused by the appuva lion of county employees lur a Duniinion award, was nut clear. liic meeting passed estimates totalUng just over £l3B,Util) and it was deemed to invite country rcprcSL-ulu-lives, together with a representative xrom the Wanganui City vouueil, to meet in the attenioun and go into the wages question with a view to adopting unixormity of policy. Such meeting was taken in committee. Mr. j?_ Keller, District I’ublic AVorks engineer, Stratiord, was in the chair at the open meeting in the morning. Counties represented were: I’atea (Mr. W. G. Delton and Mr. J. E. 2 ln u ersom engineer), Waitotara (Mr. T. Dix, engineer, an apology having been received from xVIr. .Robert Laird), ’Wanganui (Mr. Duncan Mackintosh and Ji. K. Dawson, engineer), Hangitikei (Mr. W. Doole and nir. 8. A. Ji. Jdatr cii-i--neer), Wainiarion (Mr. c. Jj, jjuigau and xVlr. H. L. Hogg, engineer), xvlr. J. W. Sampson, resiuent x-üblic Wonts engineer at Wanganui, and Mr. it. Laue, secretary to trie council, were also present. Mr. W. Morrisc-n, u member of the Main Highways Board, was pruscut in advisory capacity. “1 am not in a position io tell you very, much,” said Mr. Morrison, ‘‘lucre have been many cianges since we last met, the most impurtant being a. ciiauge o f Government over whiuu the Higiiways Board had no control. Ihe boaid is there to administer the law as it is laid down. It is the Government which alters the Jaw ar.d I hope that county councils, if they do not like Btate highways, du nut bianic the board. There i» one tiling 1 thitiK I can say and that is that we arc going to get more money tlian we have hau before. It is the Government's pooey that all the mu-uey raised from tne petrol Lax should be spent on road , and I think we all agrev with tnal. j ( would have been uoiio by tne pa&i Government, probably, if it had not been Laced With the nccessitv of having to meet a serious position. Hou ever, we are hopeful ul getting nniun more than we had in tue pa-t, ami, that being so, it will be neuvssai v- 101 the counties to raise their poitiu.i. Alany proposals are put in v\eiy \uui hoping that the lot will be granted. Hl ' may had now tlia-t tue Highways Boaru will be able to make a mure liberal ul location and local bodies may not. be able to expend it. “1 kno-w that Btate highways arc causing county councils a great Ueai of concern, w’hen the Bill beioru ' L’arliunieni pressure may ou macle lu make certain alterations, but L liii.iK you can take it lur granted mat the Bill is going tiirougn. Counties know that they are to- lose control of niain ! roads, and to the majority that is nui ■ , very acceptable, as most couniico pre- i ier to exercise their own control. Air. Afornsou said tnat he nad no du-übt that the board, in where i it needed machinery, would take uvei i tnat owned by local bodies, it hud iioi : discussed the question ot collages but I he felt that wncre it was necessary to i take over such erections tile buaiu ; would do it. County councils wiiicn 1 were lucky tnougff tu have long length.- 1 of main highways, if they did no. 1 lower then rates, would na\c consider 1 ably larger sums lu spend on ruad- ’ other than highways. I A voice: Hat will happen in Lhc ‘ case c-L counties which na.c so much ‘ highway ibat they will sack their eogi 1 neersf \\ nl the board lake onr i-v * engineers, 100 i ' Mr. Morrison: If they are goj-i ' enough. (Laughter.) Air. Kelier: \ cry nicely pul. Mr. Keller, following Morrison, ’ said that he, also-, couid not enlighten the meeting as tu wnen the piuposvo r changes would take effect. He did not think that there would be anj gicat ‘ deal of plant which local bodies wou.d desire to hand over tu the board, fiity 1 had gained a great deal of experience in the construction and maintenance ( of main highways, and would now be -- free to apply that expeiience to fuin ueuclil c-tner roads. Air. Mair said that he had had ad vice, t-aiuugii Air. Ormond Wilson. AI.E. for itangitikei, that the Mims 1 ter had stated that the new lcgi.-ia-tion would be operative as soon as it i passed the Upper House. Air. Alumsun; 1 am not disputing Mr. Mair’s statement. Air. C. L. Duigan; You du not sug gest a reduction in the petrol tax, il there is tu be a surplus/ Air. Alorrison rep.led that be had not gone into that aspect, but the meeting could take it for granted that there would not be a reduction in ihe immediate future. Estimates were approved fur the current year and Messrs. Mackintosh and Belton, together with the chairman, were elected a* a» executive.

Replying to Mr. Duigan, Mr. Keffer said that thcie was no lead at present with regard to the question of appli cations for new highways. The boaid’« poli y was not ciear, as yet. If board imlic.ited its willingness to con sitler new highways* and desired ifin council to go into the question a spec ai meeting could be called.