NEW ROADS FOR OLD.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 3938, 21 February 1920, Page 4

NEW ROADS FOR OLD.

MENDING OR- MAKING?

SCHEME FOR CONFERENCE

vje_.iijiuu..c< n\ji\ cvisr JiiivXiixy^L'.. The Mayor of Feilding called a con- | ference of delegates of local bodies te discuss road-making proposals in the Council Chamber yesterday afternoon. Present: From the Feilding Borough Council, Mayor Harford and Crs. Barltrop, Masters, Lindsay. Burne, Cleland, and Andrew, and Engineer Fitzgerald. Oroua C.C., Crs. 3lcElroy, Pearce, and Morrison. There svere no delegates from the Kisvitea C.C., the Manasvatu C.C.. and the Pohangina C.C., svhich sveie invited to send delegations. Tho Chairman presented his proposals for consideration.

MAYOR HARFORD'S ROAD PROPOSALS. In calling this conference to discuss road proposals for the district the object in view is to create interest amongst tiie local bodies, whereby some scheme may be devised, first, to avoid unnecessary expenditure ou machinery, second, that svill lessen the present enormous expenditure on road maintenance, third, to discuss some method svhereby the svhole of the Councils interested could combine to use the machinery already in their possession, for their mutual benefit ; fourth, to discuss the best method lor tar-sealing the roads over the svhole of the district and generally to devise a workable scheme to brine; our roads up to date.

As is- svell known to all local bodies, since the advent of the self-propelled vehicle, the upkeep ol our roads has become a heavy burden. Nearly every borough and county council is tiyi ing to devise means to decrease this expenditure, and 1 have noticed that some t>l the councils in this district have been considering the advisability of procuring machinery., etc During the holidays I visit.-d i'atanaki, not keeping to the main roadsonly, but seeing the far-bound roads lioin Elthiiui to Kapongji. Opunake. and from Kapnnga to Maiiaia and round the mountain roads. Nearly all these roads are tiirbounel. and it svas a real pleasure t<> drive over them. ii" dust nuisance or £>ot holes, but a smooth, even surface about 12 te,-i is ide. I hast- made en<|uiries as to the cost ot laying dosvn these roads, and find that the initial expenditure was m the region of. ls (id per sip yd., and that the annual cost of the upkeep ilid per yard. I believe that in this district we eotiJti make the roads much cheaper, as sve have, an unlimited supply ol good river metal suitable lor the purpose. Some oiigrneen*. lii!vf passed the opinion (the best in j the Dominion) svhile all the metal in ! laranaki has to be crushed, thai a road properly put dosvn svith tJsis metal thoroughly rolled svhile svet and then sealed with two coats of res tails both the cheaper and the better road, I am iirnitv convinced.

Five years ago the Feilding Borough Council used this sysjein on Fergusson street and Manchester street at an approximate cost ot 1.Id sq. yd. The road has since had a coat ol restar at, a cost of Id per yard per year, thus proving that the maintenance charges after being laid down arc very low. ] believe that in a fesv years the having on this item will repay the first- cost, while sve have a good road all the time and every »dditional coat of res tar makes tiie road firmer and better.

No doubt the concrete system svould be a good one, but on account of the enormous cost- required tor the taj-tini expenses, it seems out of the question tor this dsitricf. The same thing applies to the bitumen or pitch form ot surface. 'The bitumen svould base te be obtained from America, and is expensive, especially since the rate ot exchange is so unfavourable-. While not posing as an engineer, I veiituie 1., say that on account ol its economy. nin J its lasting power*, tin- best t";.<t for the disfrict is the restar-boiind roi,,J.

In thinking >-iit this mattei,, tinsvays and means liave to be w.n.-i----d'-red. While not having much data !'• li") on I b-lieve there are enough road rollers and road machinery already in the possession of the different e-ounHis to do the whole or the work, it the diflei-cnt councils sscre t<combine to that end. I would strongly advise that a committee be set up consisting of two delegates from each council te go into the whole matter. As far as Feidling is concerned, the Council has practically decided fo take a poll of the ratepayers in the near future asking them to sanction n loan for Ibis purpose, and if came.i svill get on svith the svork ai .-nee

'The question of finance should be lelt to the respective Councils, or |..r the Committee il set up. In the early part of the next, session of Parliament 1 believe a Bill will be brought down to collect a tyre tax. 'This propo-al bus been di*-cussed in several confereijces and the unanimous opinion has been that the Customs should colled a tax of ii per fvre, the inniU'V to be allocated to the c)ifferei|,t Cum-il-, on road mileage. Should this Act com int.. toice, that, and the saving <-n maintenance could easily pay all m-ter.-it and sinking funds l<-r any loan taken for sealing our routs-.

One tliiiiii is certain: Our present met hod of putting down loose met a! on the roads, to be pulverised and blosvn away must be altered and another system inaugurated whereby our road surfaces will be protected, mid if this cnnferejica svdl go into the matter seriously, then the object of calling the conference ssil! be at'lained. Geographically sve have a 'great advantag over any other district, ns our ro.i'ls are mostly an easy trade, and ssith river metal in abundance, resfar procurable from AVanganui and the hearty co-opera-tion of the local bodies, sve should be able te put our roads in such order Mint they svould be pecond to none in tin* Dominion.

BRIEF DISCUSSION

Cr. Pearce said there was something attractive about a suggestion for local bodies to pool their machinery for road-making. But it svas more important that they should combine to go into the mountains to get good metal to replace the river shingle. Cr. McElroy drew intention to thefact that there svere only tsvo local bodies represented. The conference should be jwstponed. Cr. Morrison: It should be remembered that though you far a road, that docs not assure a good road. At the same time, it svas necessary to do something. The Chairman said the present state of Fergusson and part of Manchester street proved that the tarring system did ensure a good toad and economical upkeep. It svas resolved that the conference be adjourned for a month, to meet at 10 o'clock on Friday morning.