FORTUNATE AUCKLAND.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 12 August 1921, Page 6

FORTUNATE AUCKLAND.

NO CITY. OVERDRAFT.

ITS© Mayor of Wellington (Mr. R. K. Wright, M.P.) returned from, a ■rciei visit to Auckland on Tuesday. Speaking in regard to the economic positions of Wellington and Auckland, he said that the latter city was in a much, happier position than Wellington, inasmuch, as it had no overdraft to pay interest upon, and had been j successful in raising a loan of £500,000 on the London market recently; which was enabling them to carry on with new works. One of <fche works which was beginning to make a show comprised the concrete-surfaced roads that were being laid down. The Eemuera Road was now being surfaced with concrete and the completed roads looked very well indeed. Mr. Wright s-aid that this surfacing was of concrete only, as far as he was able to -see; that was to say, there was no cushion of asphalt or bitumen on the top to take the impact or vibration of the traffic* ' As to the efficacy of i purely- concrete roads for mixed traffic !he could not say. Perhaps it was too 1 early yet to judge the success or otherS wise of the Auckland experiment/ I The above news is interesting in ' view of the recent views expressed by the city engineer (Mr. W. H. Mor- ■ ton), who does not believe that wholly ' concrete roads (without a cushion) are ' suitable for mixed traffic, i.e.,, solid, ; pneumatic, and iron tyres. He' rather : favours a bitumen cushion on a welllaid concrete foundation. —Dominion.