ROADS IN THE NORTH.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 168, 9 April 1908, Page 4

ROADS IN THE NORTH.

: — : 0 A CHANCE TO RENDER PRACTICAL ASSISTANCE. , (by 'rELEOK.vni.—srEciAi, conn'DsroNDENT.) ■ ■ . Auckland, April 8. . Tho local bodies-iii Auckland aro complaining, that, chiefly owing to-a shortage .of railWay rolling stock, they hro unable to get delivery of road metal, and that in consequence grants for roads which have to bo expended in a given time cannot he availed of properly. -Whereupon tho "Herald 1 ' remarks: " Apart from tho habit of the Government in liot exjieiidiii" road money placed on the Estimates, there Vis at tho present time such a shortago.of rolling stock in the Railway Department that.it has been impossible:for local authorities to; obtain the- haulago,: of road-making material; yet tho winter is upon us, and unmetalled roads arc already being turned into bogs and morasses,' while local authorities; aro unable to get road work dono because tho railway cannot spare tho rolling stock to haul metal. / ' / ." Sir Joseph Ward;.was recently through the. North of , Aiickland, and ought* to know, something' of the' imperative, need for metalling, but, unfortunately, ho caw; the . roads in, the dry weather, while, now it is wet,- if ho woro to return over the same route between now and tho opening of Parliament, wo.ycnturo to. say;that he .would tako stops to provido '.enough rolling stock to prevent tho'work'of road making from being so .unjustifiably interfered with, for the Count/ Councils and' otlier local authorities eaii panjly-bo ask«V-'t,o'.nVqvi(lo. their own trucks, as 'some "of '.tlie "cohl mining companies liaVo been asked to do; although it would really' ;Sepin.:tha't for every man to have his own ■ railway .truck \is ' tho only way ;■ to get ,'oii with,th'o V :presout railway methods.". *