ROADS REPORT.

Evening Star, Issue 11692, 25 September 1902, Page 6

ROADS REPORT.

[Fxoic Otna Pabuakkmtabv Rkpobtms.] WELLINGTON, September 24. The first annual report of the Department of Roads, formerly incorporated with the Lands Department, was presented to Parliament to-day.—Mr Hursthouse, Chief Engineer of Roads, says that the work carried out on roads is distributed generally in small lots over the country districts, and embraces road work in all its forms; but the department is also called on occasionally to undertake other than strictly road works, amongst which during the year were included two wharves—one at Kawhai and one at Awaiti —the completion of a limekiln at Makareao, and the laying and ballasting of fifty-six chains of light railway in connection with a timber concession at Kaipara. Amongst the more important works undertaken during the year were the Tuafcau bridge, over the Waikato River, which, in conjunction with, the Tuakau-Raglan road, gives a good and direct route for most of the Raglan County to the railway line at Tuakau. The expenditure for road works has increased during the past ten years from £99,920 in 1891-92 to £367,325 for the year ended 1902, or an average annual increase of over £26,700. 'Phie past year shows the. largest increase over any preceding it, the amount being £62,600. It is nUo a record year as regards the total of the expenditure. The great increase, the report proceeds, is due to the continuous extensive land settlement during that period, and to the fact that the construction of roads to give access to lands is far more expensive than it was in the earlier part of the period, because the lands now going on the market arc, as a rule, in very much more hilly country than at earlier dates, and therefore ;ire more expensive to road; also to the increased traffic by small farmers (principally due to the dairy industry), being very trying to the roads. One of the most, difficult problems the department is endeavoring to solve is the economic metalling of roads in places remote from any hard rock or shingle. Attempts have been made with burnt clay and burnt papa rock, with the result that a material fairly well suitable for the purpose has been produced ; but the cost in most cases, so far, has been so great as to prohibit the extensive adoption of the system. It was proposed to experiment with Caillet’s monorail system on one of the unmetalled roads. Whenever practicable the works have been carried out under the co-operative system, which has worked with satisfactory results. The number of men employed on works at the 18th April, 1901, was 2,950. and at 31st March, 1902, there were 832.