BITUMEN SURFACING

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 195, 13 May 1924, Page 8

BITUMEN SURFACING

« HUTT ROAD EXTENSIONS PETONE COUNCIL AGREES WITH PRINCIPLE When the proposals of Mr. Strand, Mayor of Lower Hutt, concerning the extension of the Hutt Road bitumen surface came up for consideration at last night’s meeting of the Petone Borough Council, the Mayor (Mr.. J. W. McEwan), explaining his position, said he was not opposed to the extension of the road along tho lines suggested by Mr. Strand, but he did not consider the amount estimated to be collected in license fees sufficient for such purjmso. There was also the important question of reconstituting the Rond Board. , , , Councillor Brocklebank advocated

the setting up of a representative committee of all bodies for the. purpose of drawing up a scheme. Difficulties had been pointed out, but there must, he said, bo some wav out of them. Ho thought the council ought to agree to the principle of Mr. Strand’s scheme. Ho oven advised the council to join with Lower. Hutt for a more thorough consideration of the matter. In the opinion of Councillor Jacobsen, although ho agreed with both the Mayor and Councillor Brocklebank, the matter was premature. As the motorists, according to Councillor Hay, were tho ones who broke up the road and the licensing fees were being charged for the express purpose of paying for the road and keeping it in first class order, the maintenance of the road should be a first charge on tho fees collected. Anything over and above that could be used'' for extending the bitumen surfacing. The council agreed to the general principle of extending the road surfacing throughout the district conditional upon the Hutt Road being reconstituted on the basis of the board having sole control of construction and maintenance and that license fees be fixed at such amounts as may be sufficient to cover all annual charges upon tho extended road surfacing incidental to tho extension of the roadway.