Diversion Of Funds From Main Highways To Country Roads

Wanganui Chronicle, 27 April 1950, Page 6

Diversion Of Funds From Main Highways To Country Roads

The suggestion that some of the Main Highways Board's funds should be diverted from State and main highways and used on country roads which were essential in maintain the production of primary produce in New Zealand was made Io yesterday’s conference of the Meat and Wool Section of Federated Farmers. TiTe suggestion, made by Mr. F. C. Pearce, was adopted. In a recent tour around the North Island, said Mr. Pearce, he had noticed the amount of work that was being carried out on State highways, many of which were running beside the railway line. This was heartbreaking to many back-country farmers who were unable to get their wool to the stores after shearing it from the sheep’s backs. Although these roads were very nice to have, they did not increase production, which was a vital need in the Dominion today. “First things should come first,” said Mr. Pearce. “Where there are railways to carry goods it is only fair to ask the Main Highways Board to slow down on some of these highways and to use lhe money in bringing the side roads up to a standard. We have a standard for our main highways which is very high and we need a standard for our side roads. It is a poor state of affairs when some roads are improved at the expense of others.”