CONCRETE IN DOUBT

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 246, 12 July 1921, Page 7

CONCRETE IN DOUBT

FOR PERMANENT ROADB VIEWS OF THE CITY ENGINEER Ths Hutt Rond Board, which meets rarely and indefinitely, held a meeting in. the Mayor’s room yesterday to pass the annual estimates. In the course of the meeting the perennial question of a permanent road surface between Wellington and I’etone was referred to, and led to an interesting statement and discussion. The city engineer (Mr. W. H. Morton) said he was by no means satisfied that concrete would be of any use on the Hutt Hoad. Ho was very doubtful about concrete roads. They could be made very satisfactorily to last for four or five years; but he did not see how they could be satisfactorily repaired when they wore down. He admitted the suitability of concrete as a basis for a rood; it was strong, and distributed the load well over the sub-foundation; but he did not believe in it as a wearing surface. What he had seen in America, and had heard since, had made him very doubtful of a concrete surfaced road. His opinion was that a road laid down in tar macadam or bituminous concrete would be very much more satisfactory, and not so costly as cement concrete. The idea of concrete roads camo from America, where fabulous sums had been spent on them. He had scon many that were going to pieces. Tho Mayor (Mr. R. A. Wright): Are we waiting for information about other materials? Mr. Morton: "No. It is only a question of money. The other roads have been tried and are quite satisfactory.’’ Mr. Morton remarked that the Illitt Hoad was much wider than was necessary, and a formation 20ft. wide would bo quite sufficient. Tax or Toll Gate? On tho question of paying for rondo, Mr. Morton said that ho had recently pointed out to tho Wellington City Council that tho present road practice resulted in an enormous economic waste. The council was building and repairing roads incapable of carrying tho traffic put upon them, and doing nothing to raise revenue to pay for them, and while the council was thus losing money, the owners of vehicles were losing money on the upkeep of their vehicles on account of tho way they deteriorated on the bad roads. Tho motorists were perfectly willing io pay a tax sufficient to keep the roads in better order; yet nothing was done. The Government had started on a Bill which he was satisfied would not relieve the municipalities to any extent.

Mr. E. P. Rishworth, Mayor of Lower Hutt, said that his council had discussed the question, and had obtained reports, having been faced with a financial position which had almost reached the limit that could be borne. He would like Mr. Morton to prepare some information in the laying down of permanent roads with a cement foundation and a sealed surface such as he had described. Individual action by the local bodies would be of little value; they should get closer together in the matter, and organise themselves to deal with tho question of road finance. Elusive Registration. Mr. Wright said that at present a motorist living in Wellington could have his car registered in another district, and thus escape taxation in his own district. This needed attention, and the registration area should be increased by the co-operation of neighbouring local bodies. Tho difficulty of securing payment of the tax by the users of the roads was serious. Mr.-’J. Barclay (Hutt County Council') : “You can do it. with a toll gate." Mr. Wright: But toll gates do not seem to bo popular. Mr. M'Ewan suggested a conference with tho Automobile Association. Mr. Barclay said he was not in love with toll gates, but he could not think of any better 'way to raise the money. The proposal had been made to impose a tyre tax, which had been estimated by the Government to 'produce .£lOO,OOO, and by the Automobile Association to produce .£150,000. That amount would be useless. Mr. Sloan characterised the toll gate as a "disaster." Tho arterial road question was a national one,' and to leave it in tho hands of local bodies would mean delay. The motorists were only too willing to # pay for good roads, and the revenue from the tax would pay interest on a huge sum for permanent road construction.

Air. Rishworth raised the question of cars carrying their original registration, no matter what district they were sold into. This was nn antiauated procedure and should lie remedied. Mr. Wright said lia suspected that the Government proposed to tax the motorists for its own purposes, which would b» of no use to the local bodies. ineffective Legislation.

Mr. Morton said that the whole of the legisiWtion dealing with motor traflic was ineffective, and should be repealed. Xe said that the toll gate, while it might be suitable for country districts, was ustrJess near a city. There were many otherways of raising the money. He quoted the English and American system of w charging graduated license fees—in * America on horse-power, and in England on tho unloaded weight of the vehicle. An essential was a much enlarged registration area, within which vehicle.? should be charged an annual license fee. That was done in oth:-r countries, and ' in this respect New Zealand was a long way behind. The defect of a tyre tax was that it must bo collected by the Gov- - eminent, and they could not bo sure how ths money would he used. Ho suggested that a local Act to cover Wellington dis- • trict should be drafted. ,_ After some further discussion it was agreed that a conference of the local bodies in and around Wellington should ba arranged to discuss the whole question of road policy, and u resolution asking for a special meeting of the Hutt Hoad Board at an early date to consider tho question and receive a report from tho City Engineer was adopted.