OUR ROADS

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 146, 21 June 1901, Page 2

OUR ROADS

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —Your leader on the state of our streets and roads was certainly very much to the point, and by Thursday's "Star"' I see "Resident" complains of the footpaths on the city side of the Ponsonby Road being covered with hard loose pebbles* Well, they may be bad enough; but if anvoue wishes to see a real rocky

road, such a sort of footpath may be seen beside Seccombe"s brewery iv Kyber Pass, where pebbles, no, but boulders 12 and 14 inches long protruding from one to throe inches above "the level of the ground can be stumbled across. And as to the condition of the roadway in dry weather, it presents the appearance of a dry river bed; in wet weather it baffles description, and if those who are responsible for this condition of things escape a claim for damages on account of someone being thrown out of a vehicle in trying to negotiate the various hills and hollows, they will be very fortunate. But a thought strikes me. Perhaps they wish to convey an idea of what the condition' of the roadway in the original Kyber Pass was like." If so, they have succeeded fairly well, as if it is worse than our local production it must be an awful place.—l am, etc.,

TRAVELLER

(To the Editor.)

Sir.—Your leader of Tuesday, drawing the attention of the authorities (for the travelling public know it only too well) to the disorderly state of our streets will, 1 hope. liave a good effect. Having- just returned to Auckland from a visit to Sydney and its numerous suburbs, via Wellington and intervening towns, 1 can verify the truth of your remarks as to the disorderly state of our streets in comparison with other cities, and even small towns. In this respect Wellington impressed me very favourably; and even Wanganui and New Plymouth can give us points. Of course, I don't expect Auckland city streets to vie with those of Sydney, with its miles of block pavements, laid smooth and true, and as clean as the side walks, but I do think that we should compare favourably with its younger suburbs, and with' our own New Zealand towns. As you say, we suffer by comparison with even these. It is astonishing how we insensibly become accustomed to our environment, ana settle down to regard as passable and unavoidable a condition of things that is bad and inexcusable. However, m spite of this tendency among us, the citizens have for some time felt the want of cleaner thoroughfares. But it is not until one has been away and seen the difference for one's self that we can fully appreciate the complaints of our visitors re the "dirty streets. Nature has richly endowed Auckland and made it "beautiful for situation j but for comfort, health, and decency a sake let us "mend our ways. Thanks are due to you, Mr Editor, for having reminded our roadmakers of the difference between their methods and those adopted so successfully by Macadam and his school. Does it not come practically to this: "As stone cubes of two and a-half inches (and over) are to one inch (and under), so are our roads incomparable with those of standard quality?" There are other matters connected with this subject I would refer to, but I fear that 1 have trespassed On your space already.—l

am, etc.,

GEORGE RHODES.

June l'J, 1901