GOOD ROADS MOVEMENT.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume IX, Issue 82, 21 March 1919, Page 5

GOOD ROADS MOVEMENT.

AN INSTRVUTIVE REPORT. Mr. E. A. William'., engineer to the Napier Borough Uounei’. who recently attended a eonloronce ol New Zealand Society of Civil Engineers at, Auckland, presontod an interesting report to a meeting of the iwim d last night, which will no doubt 1.., toad with runsiderablc interest Mi Williams, in Ills ropnii. said he wished to emphasise the value oi the very valuable papers that n-.nl. übo ill the dislUsMinw which took plai e vvhieh <a omit, tad to be of great value to those who were present. Among the papers read and discussed wei several on eoiiercte roads and as H> largo iucii is being laid in Auckland which is not being carpeted with the usual tar compound, the results are being watched with some amount of interest.

The aggregates that are being used in this wink lire w hat might be termed “ideal,” consisting of broken blue stone metal iiom tine enips up to 2in. diameter and the sand is a coarse, sharp stiver sand ; slabs are being laid about '-in thuk urn! vicinity of the dui k- that have bet n m um> for several months show practically no weal’, and during this period no complaints have been received,,! loin diners ol liorsedi.twn vcliicJch.

Another piece ol concrete road that has been down 10l some two or three yeais iii which tin- aggregates are oi bank run shingle, lias worn away almost unitoiinly loi a thickness oi 2iti. to 3m. and an cxpciimont is being tried of laving a coat ol about 3in. of good conciete. winch is to be carpeted with tar compound. in the city alimwl all mud surfaces that aie mil ol conciete have been tor sealed, mi hiding guides ol 1 in II as in Uppei Queen meet and no dlltn ulty is exponent ed with hoi so drawn ti attic and a great saving eliected by rendering the macadam road surfaces waterproof. Macadam loads that hate not been treated are in many eases in raibor a dilapidated rendition and lull of pot holes and except where tar macadam has been used along tram tracks, those are in many places in need oi attention.

Auckland is very fortunate in the matter of Parks and Reserves and a fine example is the converting of a slum area into Myers Park, which besides being a beauty spot also has a Kindergarten and numerous appliances for children inch.ding a small paddling pool and similar playgrounds are being laid out and appliances erected at Victoria Park including a large shelter, at a cost of £l5OO, the gift oi , another citizen. In this park I noticed the lawns were being mown by means of a motor mowing machine and no parks that I visited .had fences.

A visit was paid to the site of the Nihutapu dam which will impound 450,(MM),000 gallons of water, being about 90 days’ supply ; the da.ni is being built of concrete, and is to be ii'bont 150 feet high and 105 feet thick at the base, and is to have a concrete roadway across the top 17 feet wide, the length being 530 feet with a radius oi 450 feet. .Slone for the concrete work is quanied in the valley, compressed an- being used for the drilling oi the rock, which is conveyer! t<> the nulling and crushing plant by a narrow gauge railway, the com rote being low err'd to the site from an aerial tramway 200 feet, above the bed of tho dam.

Cement anil sand, also stones for this work are brought, up on a railway’ from Mainikau iluihotir, and all the hillsides in the vicinity are heavy bush. Concrete price lor dam is £120,000. 1 alsj visited-most of the suburbs, including Takapau and Devonport, ami noticed that although the roads and footpaths in most, cases were in an unfinished condition, the kerliing and channelling was laid and surfaces of macadam roads are being sealed with tar compounds.

Visits were also made to the tramway depot, Mt. Eden quarries. Grafton bridge, sewer outlall woikn, reluso destructor, etc., ami the iollovving papeis vvoie lead ami discussed :- l‘ tool oi Timber Bridges, \\ ind Power Engineci mg, Permanent Roadways Oonciete). Littoral Drill Anunid the < oast of New Zealand, Small Suspension Budge, Road Stones of Wellington and 'luiamiki, Notes on Reinforced t. oni iete. Sluicing Dredged Material \shon . Location of County Roads ..mi the Waikato River.

\ visit was paid by those retuining via Rotorua to the baths and guldens, which are kept in a very fine condition and Iho public tennis courts and howling greens sire a great, acquisi lion.

in tho town the streets are wide and well laid out, but tho trees are spoiled by being ton closely cropped. Tho council complimented Mr Williams on this very excellent report.