THE ROAD SCHEME.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14343, 1 May 1912, Page 10

THE ROAD SCHEME.

to THE EDITOR oy .. Tnß p ;■ iV7 ) hen the - ato Mr T. E T ft *U. ' £ ».ig i.100,000 for tho purpose of £Ij improvement, it was ' tune that any publi"™ ** - Mich a scheme botoro tho pubhV if-" true that Mr Dobs-m had ffiSd to Council that to put our roTdT-Xl- ' r street-, into an efficient oondiW ■ - would cost JCSO.OW, thU tookwJE: ' :Z th r ? tho <*•--"■"-«»*, 3*5;. v ™ a « el \„- vas - 10 - >cvived unt :j *S»*. , T E. Taylor launched hi* bfe X* - at „, mootinss to contest the aEtS-'" seat. No one who likened toS he spoke upon this subject, both'£ ' fore his election and afterwardT V W , as Mayor, he undertook to seucs of meetings m tho tncts ot Christchmch. could do-ibl W. - oarnpstnew and eonvktion. There *Z that about Mr T. E. Taylor"£ *- speaking, either to A pYivatog , dividual, or to a crowded Rather™, that compelled attrm.on. Under & ~ cut conditions and some different* .» *l training, he would have probabh/*i*C cupied the highest portion tho B[sl ' cou.il give- Now th.it ho has goueT " has lett no one who c.n hold tfiertta!' l ?- --t.on and interest of an audicnt* 2,"-" completely. I well remember hoarse'"' him on two occaMon-. in which tim" ' quality was markedly shown fw some.9 or 10 yeais aco, in the Cofo. I scum, which was crowded with an iti. inonse audience, on the eve of a genisir ' election, when Mr Taylor gave oneJ,- ! his ablest and must lmpasMonW' ! speeches in favour nf Prohibition. wS 1 ' might any one have said at tho elo» *" •Almost thou niirsnndesfc mc to bea" l '- prohibitionist/' hi ; ;roat was tlie in. fluence f-!t throughout that vast audi onco by his appeal. ■ occasion was whon he sA. ' dressed a crowded audienco in Biti Majestys Theatre in f.ivour of th« - Canal scheme. That address w M '«S " oi the iinest I over listened to, tba only other that I havo Wd ' in.New Zealand, that I could compare - with either ot thc*e speeches, was on« by toir-Robert Stout, I think beforo his Knighthood, in the Tuam skew* * Hall, on education, a v masnifoeat address. ' ~ Mr Taylor's int<jnso and unf&ltcf.. ~ ing advocacy during all his We of a ." cause which he believed, with all his ■ " soul, would redeem the people from ' much sin and sufforiug, brought him -" many enemies and much unjust critic* cism, but all friend and foe alike, ad- * mitjiis groat gifts as a speaker and his honesty of purpose. I am induced X' to write thus of our late Mayor from*.3 a 6enso that somo injustice has bcea.v" done to him over thus road It was opposed by "Tho Press," &p'Mr Dougall aud by many writenj*|ir ''Tho Press," and amongst tho ber I contributed a letter to columns against tho scheme. lira much astonished whon I saw thdHib;',. Dougall as Mayor took un tho schajß*-"' aud advocated its adoption. It is tni* 'v that he paid a tribute to tho 'Ufa*; '< Mayor in introducing the scheme 'but-'. •■' ho soon forgot the part that 3or took in launching it, and verjf--'" shortly claimed it as his own. I donot £.' accuse Mr Dougall of dishonesty, th*>y legal mind can always tea tlio othpt iV ,. tide of a subject, and convince itscJti '-* of tho justice and honesty of its view. \ It is not worth while pointing out to ,•£ what extent Mr Dougall altered M>./ Taylor's scheme, this has beon done in. *_< tho correspondence columns of "TharJ'J Press"- and at public meetings. Ono ~-- thing I havo noted that homo who v.* then honestly opposed Mr Taylor not objected to his successor's efforts -j, in advocating the scheme. _ -.? I have kept this subject in mind: and-/' now publicly protest against a scnema «j for borrowing money for road ance and formation. Thero is no raw V son why tho work-should not out of revenue. It is necessary to bear.,! in mind that at present in Europe'aniL. s J. America,- great-attention is beiuggivem,, )j to road making; and that thero' is not,*; yet an agreement as to which mdta'od \ is tho best. If:tour authorities'lreep'iin '/ active look-out, something can be learnt-!., from the methods being carried - there. As I pointed out a year iigo,th*J s f conditions in ; Christchurch are «<™n! favourable to good roads. Tho sabtot '■!< in ports is often water logged, '-ilia., ;| material soft and y'clding, oapsitsjf ' irregular subsidence and unevenne»itf- "] surface. Tho metal is also grinds to powder. Apparently a ?.%.*■' por uso of tar will result in great provement of the roads and ecottCtnyiV of upkeep, but it can bo carried ■oct'?> from ordinary revenue, and this «i> give time to gain knowlodgo of the law > ; mpthods ■-. from actual oxporieiKiSi*' whereas an expenditure from money would result in wasteful extravagant methods. '. '".L-i I am probably as well acquaintcC;with tho condition of tho roads a» aa)s c . ono. and I can say that with a feme**.;; centions, they are in a fair condition,;;--whilst some aro excellent. Should'xftSjvscheme go to the poll, I have no doti»f it will bo rejected. '% Ono suggestion T made to w« CouwSU ! a year aero, X will repeat, that is,tho Council to provide a motor-car Writs officers to travel quickly* po-'iiblo to effect ivelv inspect and « ! under rensonablo observation the.iWJ* 1 * area of roads and streets Greater Christchnrch without the' »w.;, of a car. Us adoption wonld res™*- 1 greater ofSciency and economy.— etc., ",'J-- '^ A. F. J. MJtVChristchnroh. 30th April. :-S^^