H—4o

comparatively little had been done .up to 1946. Constructional expenditure for the 1943-44 year amounted to only 11-9 per cent, of the total, and for the following year 15-2 per cent., and for the 1945-46 year 16-9 per cent.; the corresponding proportion averaged over the six years immediately preceding the war amounted to 41-2 per cent, of the total. The expenditure on maintenance for 1945-46 was 8-6 per cent, above the corresponding figure for 1938-39. The amount spent on maintenance in 1945-46 was £4,032,588, compared with £3,711,737 in 1938-39, so that, allowing for the increased costs, the actual amount of maintenance work done in 1945-46 was probably below that done in 1938-39. The total expenditure for 1945-46 showed an increase of approximately 10 per cent, upon the previous year. It is reliably estimated that the operating-costs of all classes of motor-vehicles in the Dominion amounted to £52,800,000 for 1947-48. These figures indicate the importance of good roads to the Dominion, particularly when it is realized that bad roading conditions mean high operating-costs for motor-vehicles ; on the other hand, good roading tends to lower operating-costs. In addition, good developmental roads mean buoyant rural development. The following table shows the total expenditure on roads, streets, and bridges under the appropriate headings for the vear ended 31st March, 1946

Table No. 3 in the Appendix gives a comparison of the expenditure on roads, streets, bridges, &c., over the individual years ended 31st March, 1936 to 1939, inclusive, and the three years ended 31st March, 1944 to 1946. Owing to staffing shortages, the comparative expenditure has not been prepared for the intervening war years. Sources of Moneys expended on Roads, Streets, etc. —The table hereunder gives the approximate percentages of the five main sources of moneys expended annually on all roads during the years 1935-36 to 1938-39, 1943-44 to 1945-46 :

The figures from which, the above percentages were computed are given in Table No. 4 of the Appendix.

8

Expenditure upon Main Highways. Urban Roads and Streets. Other Roads. I | Total. 1 Maintenance .. .. Construction Interest and sinking-fund charges £ 1,880,297 428,475 717,536 £ 570,321 578,419 723,237 £ 1,581,970 295,347 914,997 £ 4,032,588 1,302,241 2,355,770 Totals 3,026,308 1,871,977 2,792,314 7,690,599

Source. 1935-36. 1936-37. 1937-38. 1938-39. 1943-44. 1944-45. j 1945-46. Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. Loan 14-0 22-5 29-0 32-8 3-4 6-5 8-2 Local rates 30-3 27-7 24-2 20-9 39-4 40-5 39-8 Employment Promotion Fund .. 12-5 7-7 6-7 12-0 0-9 0-7 0-7 General taxation 14-5 13-2 12-4 11-0 16-1 14-7 12-1 Motor taxation 28-7 28-9 27-7 23-3 40-2 37-6 39-2 Totals 100-0 100-0 100-0 100-0 100-0 100-0 100-0