AUCKLAND ROAD REPAIRING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 168, 29 July 1901, Page 4

AUCKLAND ROAD REPAIRING.

lV great deal of attention has lately been drawn to the defective condition O f our road, by the energetic action of the Auckland Cycle Roads League. Consequent upon their action In personally interviewing the City Council instructions were given that Queenstreet should be repaired at once, the City Engineer was called in in quite a dramatic manner, and told to go forth with a free hand and repair Queen-street, but not to use anything larger than 2i inch metal. A body of men haa since been actively employed, but the result is not all that one could desire. Firstly, the roadway is thoroughly broken up and left a mass of mud and large stones, with a very uneven surface. Traffic is allowed over this and it is rapidly converted into sludge. Now, dray loads of stones are carted on to this compost and shovelled over it in a manner that would have mnde Macadam ill. Instead of being spread as a sower sows com masses of atone are dumped down, and in some cases the bottom of the heap remains as it fell from the cart. The stones range in size from four inches by three inches to very small chips, and as a consequence of this unevenness it is quite impossible for them to bind properly. Now the mass of loose metal is down traffic is

allowed to voik i:s sweeet will on it uatil it is ciiuriitd inLu a strips of ridges and furrows, and so we leave it find go to our homes. As we pass up the street in the morning we see that the city mngician has during- the liight been with a free, a very free, hand, scattered metal waste, not chips, over this uneven surface and after saturating it has rolled it until the surface looks quite nice for Queen-st. But what, of the ridges and furrows and great gaps between the unevenly matched stones? They are well covered by the fine metal, but directly there is a shower of rain the puddle of mud tells its tale only too plainly. We are stating' here only what is done every day, and if it is done in Queenstreet how much more will it be done when the work is away from constant inspection of the general public. We do not pose as authorities on road making, but anyone who has watched that process in older cities, where the work is well done, knows that during the raroeess of formation, even in the busiest thoroughfares,, the section under repair is closed ancl the bed is thoroughly and solidly laid and compacted. He also knows that the stones should not exceed 2A inches in the greatest diameter, that they should be of even quality, and that they should be carefully. spread shovelful by shovelful. He knows that metal chips, not waste, should be sparingly used to bind the top layers of stones together and not mixed inches deep with the mncadam. There can be no doubt our roads nre in an appalling condition. Beach Road and Khyber Pass are worse than Queen-street. The City Council must recognise that in this matter they are not doing their duty to their constituents; We are glad to see that at least one Councillor takes the trouble to personally inspect the work being done. If some others will go and do likewise we shall possibly have the greatest reproach to our fni'r city removed before long.