LARGER COUNTIES NEED MORE SUBSIDIES

Wanganui Chronicle, 18 October 1950, Page 5

LARGER COUNTIES NEED MORE SUBSIDIES

Rangitikei Once Thought Of Sub-Dividing PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Last Night (PA).— During discussion in the House of Representatives tonight on estimates for the departments under the control of the Minister of Works (Mr. Goosman), Mr. Gordon (Govt., Rangitikei) appealed to the Minister to give more generous treatment to the larger counties in the matter of subsidies for road works. The maximum counties received was £2500 irrespective of whether they were large in size or small, s.'.X Mr. Gordon. His county (Rangitikei) recently had before it a proposition that it sub-divide into three, so that it could receive more by way of subsidy to meet the reading problems that confronted it. Mr. Smith (Govt.. Hobson) added his support to the appeal of the member for Rangitikei.

‘ I am in full agreement with al: that has been said,” su’d the Minister. Delore the Government would spend much more money on widening oneway bridges it would have to rebuild the bridges that were falling down, said the Minister. The Minister said he realised the position ot people in the back blocks and was sympathetic toward their reading problems. ‘‘Those are the people who, if they haven't got a road should get one,” he said. "There are two or three more people involved in getting roads, but 1 will be pulling for those in the back blocks,” he said. He had asked his department to lei all the work that it could on a contract basis, continued Mr. Goosman. | One trouble was, however, that there ( were not the number of contractors in i the country to do all the work that' was offering. The Minister said that] both the works and Treasury Depart-, ments were investigating the present position, which was "foolish and had

existed for a long time.'’ Mr. Gordon: Try them out with a i for £ subsidy. Mr. Goosman if we do that there will be no need for counties. I can produce figures to support that. Mr. Smith asked the Minister what his policy was in regard to the straightening of main highways. The general feeling was that the country did not need speedways. Mr. Semple (Opp.. Miramar), former Minister of Work .. said he would otfer no apology for the highways conr.'.rueled by the Labour Government. They were constructed with vision to meet the needs of the people, and they were build on tile Roman system of roadways that would last. Mr Goosman said that many had roads ought to be made better before good roads were made better. Ho was certain that a g’.eat taa l of money had been spcni on straightening of roads when other needs were more passing. The country could not hate every road a good one Many roads could bo scaled for the money that it took to build some classes of highways.