ROAD METAL AND ROADS.

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16813, 3 June 1926, Page 8

ROAD METAL AND ROADS.

(To the Editor.)

Sir.—ln view of the shortage of metal deposits for road-making purposes in the Waikato and the fact that the Railway Department is hauling hundreds of empty coal trucks back from where metal is pentiful, some of these at least should be filled with tho best quality metal and distributed along the line between, say, Mercer and Rolorua, and stored in depots easily approached by drays or motortrucks. The freight should be the lowest possible, the local body in each district to attend to its own unloading and storing and have a free baud in placing; the rnctal on any road it wished till all Ihe roads under its conlrol had been dealt Willi. 1 would suggest Dial. Ihe cos I of Ihe mclal,

freight, unloading, carling owl, and Ihe romplOlcd road he defrayed by the imposition of a petrol tax, to 1 collected at Ihe port of enlry and payable In a controlling body or specially appointed officer under Government supervision. The tax should be sufficient lo cover Ihe whole cost of the finished road. Then Ihe man with the car oi' lorry could travel on any road and feel that he was helping to pay for il. The Stale or Highway Board should lake sole charge of the main roads only, Co cost of which should he a charge on the present car registration lax and tyre lax. 1 notice that the Minister of Lands, at a banquet in the King Country, mentioned that Ihe drift lo Ihe lowns must be stopped, ami suggested soliciting the assistance of the town men to help us. 1 am confident, sir, I hat a good, sound, comprehensive roading policy is Ihe j one and only means by which we will I induce the country people to go furI Ibcr back, to say nothing of the towndwellers. Lay down good, lasting and ■'substantial roads and we will-soon have the town folk louring the backblocks, and it is the hackblocks that should have first consideration, for that is where the wealth of New Zealand comes from. The building of a ■ main highway between cities is not Ihe way to encourage production. Feed Ihe railways or make uncultivated areas produclive, more especially in Ihe case of the Waikato, where Ihe main highway runs parallel with the railway, and also with the Waikato River for a long distance. in flu's instance the highway will reduce I lie earning power of Ihe railways and in no way assist production. In any case the rate of road construction is too slow and will never overtake the j increase of motor traffic, which is daily making the position more acute under j the present methods. Willi reference to ihe man with the petrol engine for milking, etc., if he signs a declaration that his engine consumes a given j quantity (this being ascertained by experts.) a rebate could be allowed in | all such cases, and the inspector of machinery could check and verify from records kept by that officer. I am convinced that if someone does not slrike out and blaze a new line of aclion we will find ourselves at a dead-end in a few short years. There has been a revolution in motor transport, willi nothing but- Ihe century-old, out-of-date methods of finance and road-making lo meet it—by taxing Ihe farmer and tho properly owner to the last straw, while Hie user of Ihe roads goer, comparatively free. Every vehicle (prams excepted) with more than one wheel that uses the future well-constructed highways should contribute its quota, however small, lo Iheir construction and upkeep. I am confident that .every user will welcome any reasonable scheme that will give a return for Ihe money. All distributable funds should be made available, for local bodies up to the amount they are able to use each year dur- i ing the finest months in each. .Tudg- j ing by the public expression by Ihose | interested through the columns of our valued press, even tho man who uses | !'ic roads most will back the petrol j '■'>:•:. so now is Ihe lime to put forth i

's united and determined effort to make it become law clurnig the next -i'fing of Parliament. 1 would respectfully suggest a conference of ! ic.il bodies io shape a proposal embodying some of the poinls herein mentioned or something heller. Then wise and broad-minded legislation must be brought to bear on this most inportant matter, and by such foresee the time when the farmer and property owner will be relieved of the greater part of their present heavy rale burdens of road and street construciion from funds from the source suggested, while enjoying good roads which will make New Zealand famous.—l inn, etc., PROGRESSIVE. FARMERS AND PROTECTION. (To Ibe Kdilor.) si;-.- The conference of Ibe j'armcrs' Union Provim-cl |i;isse ( | resolutions in favour of free trade wilii Liritaiu and th:i gradual'

abolition of protective duties, which resolutions arc to be circulated to every member of Parliament and to every chamber of commerce in the Dominion. Similar resolutions have been passed at almost all farmers' union conferences and by almost all branches of the Farmers' Union during years without result. It is frit that the conditions of farming will no longer allow of Ihe tremendous indirect levy on Ihe land which ihesc duties entail, and the above step has therefore been taken. Farmers are making up Iheir minds that something will have to be done. Is it not about lime Ihat New Zealand knew when lo gel off? Over a quarter of a century

of protec'ion has certainly built up

our manufactures in the sense that good profits and good wages are shown, but from a national point of view our secondary industries arc dismal failures. Excluding naturally sheltered industries —such as publications, heat, light and power, also animal and vegetable products—the.

secondary industries show a growing added value on a lessened amount of material, which simply means dearer goods, more profit. The wages and income tax statistics tell the same laic. Exports of manufactured goods, never considerable, have shrunk to vanishing point. These industries should show cause for existence, either internally or externally. That protection has to be borne by the land is well known. Even Labour protection, as granted by the Arbitration Court, and which is increased according to rises in cost of living, is borne

by the land, a fact which was naively admitted by the Court when granting an increase in the basic wage just before last election. Is the land able to bear it? Does the land pay a higher wage than ihc factories? The dairying industry is drawing adherents from all olhcr branches of farming, a sign that it is doing at least as well as others. Land used in dairying is well mortgaged, but by considering it as worth nothing, as not paying- any

interest, the usual argument about "high cost of land" is avoided. Throw in also all rates, laxes, costs and consider labour only. Last year's payment for buttorfat was under £15,000000. There are 7G,07G persons engaged in dairying, and these persons receive from dairying £1"" cacli for their year's work, and out of this pay all expenses. Any attempt to find a wage in dairying if expenses arc al-

I lowed l'or is doomed to failure. There lis none if an average is taken. Rail- ] waymen average i.'2G:3 per annum: j local bodies pay out an average; of I £2;?S per annum. Is dairying tlicn —and it is no worse than some other primary pursuits—an industry which can afford to maintain a number of persons equal to its own followers in protected high wages I and profits'.' The argument is used ! that various industries should bo

protected because they compete with j sweated labour abroad. At least, they ! have Hie protection of i;t,00() miles, whereas the butter and elteese pro- j iluccrs, with their brethren, must find | ! overcome the distance and then com- j ! pele willi flic lower wages of I lie Dane, I j which go much further Hum they ; | would lien;. Agricultural labourers in I Denmark receive about £7O jior annum, i Our products have also In meet Ihe ! low standards of living in Argentine i land Siberia. Protection is also quite I unnecessary. II may be necessary, to

I iosier me wrong industries, out secI ondary industries in a right almos- | pherc will conic without prolcclion. I New South Wales affords an example; j but Denmark, circled by highly indusj trialiscd nations, affords a belter. Iter I tariff only averages 7A per'cent. (7.3 i per cent.), and is not protective; in- | deed Denmark only lately removed j duties from iron, coal, and raw materials. Yet she exports manufactured goods. She is only a tiny country, wilh very profitable agricultural exports. Here arc a few figures rolating to her manufactures, showing a rise in her exports of 50 per cent, in four years:—looo , -J0,000,000 kroner: .1010. 35,000,090 kroner; 10J2, 30,000,000 kroner. Denmark has not a single natural advantage as a manufacturing country (for low cost of living is an artificial advantage), yet she can compete successfully with Sunderland and Belfast in shipbuilding. Prote tion is really an attempt to get something out of nothing. In this country protection gels its something out of farming, increased duties certainly result in increased added values, increased wages and profits, hut not in profitably produced increased output,, at least in New Zealand. If wc can get down the high level of costs all over this country, not only agriculture but all other industries suitable to New Zealand thrive. Not even an agricultural bank could make up to farmers what they will lose through a slight increase in Ihe Customs tariff.- —I am, etc., A. K. ROBINSON, Organising Secretary F.U. (Auckland Province).