BETTER ROADS

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 5, 6 July 1921, Page 9

BETTER ROADS

; PROPOSED IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION ITS OBJECTS OUTLINED STRONG CRITICISM OF TOLLGATES. Aims and objects of the proposed Dominion. Roads Improvement Association were outlined by Mr. L. A. Edwards at the meeting of the Central Chamber of Commerce yesterday afternoon, when he moved the following motion:— " That this chamber underta&es to give practical support to the formation of a Dominion Roads Improvement Association, the objects of which are as follow:—(a) To ensure the much-needed improvement of the road conditions of this Dominion, first consideration being given to main arterial roads, (b) The affirmation of the principle tiat all revenue derived from motor taxation be specifically and equitably allocated to main arterial road improvement, (c) Education of the public upon the economic and military importance of good loads to the Dominion." ' Addressing the chamber, Mr. Edwards said that the scientific construction and maintenance of main arterial roads was primarily a Dominion concern, and must be considered as such. The formation of the association could not bo treated in a parochial manner, and, therefore, the assistance of every chamber of commerce, local body, good roads movement, motor club, etc., in New Zealand must be sought; the main arterial roads should be viewed as a. grand national chain, and each local branch would have more than ample scope for its activities in forging its link and keeping it up to the national standard. All disorganised efforts should be organised, and Wellington, the seat of the Government, was the proper location for the executive. Prompt action might be necessary, and' a competent body should be appointed, with power to act instantly should occasion arrive. "When your City Engineer," continued Mr. Edwards, "states that his department is filled with the gravest concern for the: vast economic waste resulting from our road conditions; when all over New Zealand chambers of commerce, local bodies, etc., are similarly perturbed, it is quite clear that it is not failure to recognise the vital necessities of the case that is to blame for our lack of a comprehensive and progressive Dominion roads improvement scheme. The real reason lies in the want of co-ordinated effort. Here lies the crux of the matter, and the effective organisation of these valuable, but disjointed, efforts in the.foundation stone of my scheme. I am aware that .the Government is preparing a Dominion road scheme, but while this may at first sight appear to remove the necessity for the creation of the association, I contend that this fact actually demands such an association, so that the national interests may be duly safeguarded. The suggested association can be of the greatest assistance to the Government by its collective Wisdom and advice, and by preparing and disseminating propaganda for the education of the people. TOLL-GATES "OBSOLETE AND WASTEFUL." 7■■■•.-- ' " As you are no doubt aware, there is an effort in about eight directions to obtain permissiqn.; : to erect toll-gatjes on our roads. If this permission is obtained, no logical objection can be raised against the erection of toll-gates all ovei the Dominion. Such an obsolete, wasteful, and inadequate system would brand New Zealand as a retrograde country in the eyes of the enlightened countries of the world. . It is our duty as citizens to prove that we can evolve a system which will be a vast improvement on toll-gates. The very applicants for toll-gates themselves admit that toll-gates are barbarous expedients, and are suggested because of the absence, so far, of any comprehensive roading scheme. Despite any information to the contrary, the good roads of Taranaki were not constructed out of toll-gate revenue; they were con structed out of loan ■ money. The gross receipts from the Stratford gate (which is on the much-used main road to New Plymouth) total £2553 14s 4d. v The cost of collecting this revenue is. stated in the Stratford County .Council balancesheet, 1920, afc £215 5s 6d. This is made up of salary £170 Ms; expenses of gate £44 11s 6d. This is practically £4 per week, and one may be permitted to doubt whether this small amount can be taken as a fair basis for cost of collection at toll-gates generally, when we know that a 24-hour attendance must be provided, in addition to ei'ection and upkeep of gatekeeper's house and tollgate, printing, etc. Taking these figures as correct, the net revenue for 1920 was £2338 8s lOd. ... It is worthy to note that a most important road conference was held in London in October last, organised by the Imperial Motor Transport Council, and held in , conjunction with the Empire Motor Fuels Committee and tho Empire Roads and Transport Committee. Speakers at this conference were engineers, road authorities, arid others from all parts of the Empire, including India, Ceylon, South Africa, Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, Canada.. Federated Malay Sta,tes, Jamaica, also the "United States of America, and not once were the words 'toll-gates' mentioned. One would just as readily expect to hear Noah's Ark mentioned at a modern steamship conference." MODERN METHODS NOT KNOWN. Mr. Edwards went on to refer to scientific methods of road-construction, and stated:—"Water-bound macadamised roads marked the first stage of scientific road-construction in recent road history. In 1911 tar-sealed macadam was substituted for Waterbound macadam. In 1915 bituminous carpeted and sealed roads were advocated by the world's leading road engineers. We may characterise these three stages in road-making as the barbaric, the medieval, and the modern. New Zealand generally represents the barbaric, Taranaki the medieval. The modern, well,. wo don't know it! Even the repairing of our barbaric roads is, generally speaking, carried on in a totally unscientific and scandalously wasteful manner. I can imagine no quicker way of dissipating the ratepayers' money than by pouring mile after mile of loose metal on to a broken road, and trusting to the traffic to roll it in. This method does not rise even to the barbaric level —it is criminal! On macadamised roads horse-drawn vehicles grind away the surface of the road and disperse it as a dust in summer and mud in winter. Motor-vehicles do not grind the road away; they are, on the contrary, ground away by the road. All modern authorities agree that motors improve a road, provided the road is formed and maintained by up-to-date, scientific methods. It is popular for barbaric road authorities to curse motors for damaging their roads, but motorists can, with greater iustice, curse, out-of-dale constructors. Motors, by tho peculiar bounding action of their wheels, deform a. road, producing wav.es, but only if tho road is unscientifically constructed. The cost oi maintenance

of a well-constructed wafer-bound macadam road is about £300 per mile; •a tar-sealed macadam road is maintained for £150 per mile—just half. All authorities agree there is practically no wear on a modernly-formed road." Mr. Edwards also made interesting reference to different methods of finance. The motion was seconded by Mr. .W. T. Cotton, but further consideration was deferred until next Tuesday, when a special meeting of the council will be held.