HIGHWAYS BOARD FUND.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 248, 18 September 1929, Page 7

HIGHWAYS BOARD FUND.

PROPOSED SUBSIDY WITHDRAWAL.

MOTOR TRADES’ PROTEST.

“That an emphatic protest be forwarded to the Government against its action in withdrawing the £200,000 subsidy from the Highways Board Fund as it is considered a direct breach of faith with the motorists of New Zealand, inasmuch as it will interfere with the Highways Board giving an expeditious effect to its programme, ana is also directly opposed to the original promises as made when imposing the petrol tax.” This was the text of a remit from the Te Kuiti Motor Traders’ Association discussed at the motor traders’ conference this morning. Mr Holah (Te Kuiti) said that there had been a general protest throughout the country over the matter, which would be an injustice to the motorists. Tho Highways Board were promised the money to replace the amount of money the Public Works Department usually expended on the roads. If that money -were withdrawn the functions of the Highways Board would be greatly hampered. The remit was seconded and carried. Mr H. Bauchop suggested that the text of the remit should be telegraphed to a meeting of delegates from local bodies and others interested in highway finance, to be held in Wellington to-morrow, and this was agreed to. MOTOR UNION’S VIEWS. In a pamphlet issued by the North Island Motor Union, a copy of which was before the meeting, that body summed up the position as follows: “If the grants are withheld, tlxe work of the board must suffer. Its present allocations (restricted by the amount the Government borrows each year) are this year insufficient to meet all demands, and many works have to be held over. Next year the position is likely to be much worse. The reducing revenue fund will be bled white, or works curtailed or subsidies to local bodies reduced. On secondary highways, this year, it is anticipated that the expenditure will be double that of last year. The highclass paving work programmes on heavy traffic roads, which the board is subsidising at high preferential rates, and which are now increasingly being brought to a head, will be slowed down. In fact, the check that will be given to the board’s activities will be a national calamity reflected on the country ratepayer and the road user and tho country at large. To indicate something of the result: “To Deecmber 31, 1929, the amount borrowed by tho board since 1922 was under £1,000,000. This year, if the Government’s attitude is persisted in, it will be increased by more than half this sum, £550,000, and the whole of the board’s construction estimates of £1,000,000 and maintenance payments of a similar sum will he paid or pay-, able by the motorist entirely without any contribution by the State. Even so, it is not so much the actual amount that is concerned this year (although that is considerable) hut the sense of injustice and breach of arrangement at the motorists’ and local bodies’ expense, combined with the certain future curtailment of the board’s activities, and the fear that once the board’s funds are touched other encroachments may follow has created the strong opinion existing throughout the country •at this unjustified attack upon the funds of the Highways Board, on whose activities not only the motorists and the local bodies, but the general public itself depends for improved transport facilities, through tho existence and maintenance of the present highways.”