H.— 40.

(e) Annual Charges per Mile on Roads, Streets, etc. The following table shows the annual expenditure on the various classes of roads and streets and bridges computed per mile of road and/or street: —

The above figures direct attention to the following points : — 1. That the annual charges per mile (interest and loan charges plus maintenance) on urban roads and streets is £330 ; on main highways, £192 ; and other roads, £61. 2. That the maintenance, which varies to a considerable extent in proportion to the volume of I raffle, is £189 per vehicle-mile on urban roads ; on main highways, £105 per mile ; and on other roads, £27 per mile. 3. That the interest and loan and charges are highest per mile on urban roads and streets (£189), are £105 per mile on main highways, and £27 per mile on other roads. (/) Motor-taxation. Table No. 8 shows the total amount of revenue received from the different taxes and fees levied in connection with motor-vehicles to have been £2,662,559 for the year ended 31st March, 1933. It is of interest to note that this figure is only a little over £18,000 greater than the figure for the preceding year, and is less than the figures for 1929-30 and 1930-31, when the revenue from Customs duties on vehicles and parts was over the million mark. It is also of interest to note that the total receipts from all classes of motor-vehicle taxation for the year ended 31st March, 1932 (£2,664,041), represented approximately 48 per cent, of the total expenditure on maintenance and interest and loan charges for all roads and streets during the same year. 5. HEAVY MOTOR-VEHICLE REGULATIONS, 1932. (a) Limitation of Loads on Roads. During tlie year over 2,000 additional miles of the rural roads were classified, and the following table shows the present position : —

Classification of Rural Roads.

Of the rural roading systems over 10,500 miles are main or secondary highways, and as these highways form the backbone of this system and carry by fur the largest proportion of traffic their classification lias an important and far-reaching effect on the development of road transport in this country. In other words, while the classification of the less important county roads is more or less a domestic matter for each road-controlling authority, the classification of the highways is in most cases of national interest as it affects traffic on the arterial roads. For these reasons, when classifying main highways, great care has been taken to consider the national as well as the local viewpoint, and as far as possible the highways have been classified to conform to a definite plan, which is based on the followi three main considerations : — (1) The nature of the road-surface. (2) The transport-requirements of the district. 3) The other transport facilities available.

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Annual Charges. L ' ngth ? f . Per Mile of Road. 1' ormed Class of Koad, Street, &c. Roads as at T . 31st March, M . . Interest and _, . , „ . " ' ,„.,, Maintenance. T n . Total. .Mam- cst and 19.52. Loan Charges. . T „ . . 6 ten- Loan Total. ance. Charges. Miles. £ £ £ £ £ £ Main highways .. .. 10,542 1,206,562 814,153 2,020,715 115 77 L92 Urban roads and streets .. 4,139 784,532 583,295 1,367,827 189 141 330 Other roads .. .. 36,181 990,703 1,233,762 2,224,465 27 34 '' 61 Totals .. .. I 50,862 2,981,797 2,631,210 5,613,007 59 52' 111

F ° rm , ed Class II. Class III. ' Class IV. Class V. Totel Classi " Koads. ncation. Miles. Miles. Miles. Miles. Miles. Miles. North Island 25,305 575 3,896 6,941 2,653 14,065 South Island 21,418 1,093 3,746 2,046 334 7,219 Totals .. .. 46,723 1,668 7,642 8,987 2,987 21,284