The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THERSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1928. ROADS AND ROADING.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 December 1928, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THERSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1928. ROADS AND ROADING.

In;.; staUuneiiL (il works in hand 011 roads and bridges submitted to the meeting ol i in l District Highways Council meeting at Orcymouth this woo.;, indicated liov/ comprehensive is the work now being canicd out as a result of the operations of the Highways H ard. It would appear there is every reason to be gratified with the success of the scheme. The all round improvement in the roads, the better standard aimed at, and the energy with which bridges are being provided, all this i.s to be very heartily commended. Dor about ten months’ work some OIo.COU has been s;ent with 11 the Highways District which ombraces the specially declared roads within tic Counties of Duller, Inangahua, drey and Westland. In all there are some odd miles ol main highway in No. 12 District, and almost 200 miles of the total are in Westland County, there being lod miles ot main highway and vonie -'So miles of secondary highway. Tim District Engineer (Mr Johnston)

who passed over the greater length of the highways in Westland County lias missed complimentary remarks on the general condition in w]ii h he found the roads. Sneoial work i.s being done under the highways scheme in regard In Die erection of bridges. Here, also, the requirements of Westland County have not been overlooked. During the coming; year all streams on the highways in West land will he bridged—a

most sat 'sfart >r v prospect indeed. In .■oniiecl ion with the works in Westland, it is pleasing to note that the members of tlm Highways Council have, been invited to tour the district,, and tic next meeting of the Council, in February, will be held at W'aiho. The tour will be mainly in regard to the matter of recommending additional main highways under the secondare classification, and the requirements of the district, in that respect will l>" inspected. As regards the general administration covering roads and loading, there is no doubt, the highways scheme has been assisted greatly by tlm petrol tax'. .Much extra money has been rendered available. However, under the allocation of this money it is reserved entirely lor highway work's. The request Ins been made that some purl ion of the money should he alio-

••alcd for hv roads which are ol course t iio chief feeders to l *K‘ main highways :iml railways. and arc I In* means i!' eommiiniration lor Industrial undertakings. II is suggested that instead ;il direct grants or suhsidies far local Imdics for by-roads, such roads in major 11so shoo'd he declared scendarv highways and entith'd to subsidy under the irdilinry heading. Tlii.s. no doubt would satisfv I In* local bodies e(|U:illv well, and it is proposed to press for some eonsideration in the future along I lie limes dm* lit ionedAnother verv acceptable .service by the Highways Hoard is the assistance given by purchasing road machinery and plant' for local bodies, and accept ini; deferred payment over a period of four years. The Hoard is able to pureha.se more ('(•onomieally than the local bodies, agents’ commission being avoided. and the saving and ease in payment (avoiding ovenlrafl interest) totals up. The Huller County Council has taken full advantage of this scheme, and is extremely pleased with the result, financially. and also with the very useful operation of the plant. The general ell eel of Ihe highways movement certainly seems to lie for the betterment of the roads and tin* system of mailing. There "'as a good deal of controversy ahont the intreduct inn of I Ik* scheme and its administration, and much demand for a second Hoard lor the South Island. 'Flic West ("oust district, however. has always supported the single Hoard for the Dominion, and judging by the sympathetic treatment meted out. has (*very reason to he satisfied with the position. Xo doubt a Croat deal depends upon the administration of the Highways Act. hut it seems clear that reasonable requests from the local bodies always have fair consideration. and that the general outconn* lias been a growing feeling of satisfaction with the system muT greater confidence in the general administration. Now that motoring is so much ;t part of the general life, whet Iter for profit- or pleasure, g-od roads and bettor are an essential. The motorists directly and indireetlv contribute substantially to upkeep, and deserve consideration. It must not be overlooked that the financial assistance from that- source lias helped very greaf|v thi* sot-tiers and ratepayers’ roads, so that there is now a greater community of interest than ever in seeing that roads and reading are well maintained and that there is a progressive scheme of all round improvement.

Apropos of roods and reading a correspondent wrote yesterday in regard to ■ cilain io d> in the Koitorangi district. The complaint seemed to emphasise tile point raised at the Highways Council meeting the evening before, namely that local hod.es should receive some relief I rum the petrol tax lor byroads damaged by heavy motor traiiie. u lien this special assistance is not forthcoming there is naturally a lieavv drain on the local revenue, which in me ordinary course is equal to meeting settlers’ requirements for light traffic, lint where heavy industrial traffic sets in, it does not appear fair that the ratepayers who have no part in the enterprises aloot should be levied upon for the cost of.the upkeep. The law attempts to moot siieli eases hy empowering the local bodies to classify roads in such a way mat heavy loading calculated to. do harm should he restricted. .Most of (he by-roads constructed years ago were never built to carry the heavy lorry traffic, and so in the main these hv-roads are limited to loading ranging from 2k tons to I tuns. RuL the heavy lorry, to carry an economic had the distance required from a hack Mock sawmill lo the rail head or other point for exooit. must carry a far greater load than the classification load, ami the re,suit is the breaking up of the surface of the raid. Repairs lo he effective on roads damaged must he with heavy material, and probably for a time at least, till flic metal is worked in, the surface is still rough. It has been the custom, according, to reports tit the County Council tabic, for the local body, in addition to collecting the heavy traffic fee, to charge a haulage rate, but it would appear in some of the cases brought up at Council meetings, these sources of income do not meet the full cost of upkeep. Apparently it has been the practice to allow a certain latitude in loading rather than restrict industry unduly, and at the .same time the local body has helped more or less generously with renairs. hut with roads ill-formed for such tralfie the cost mounts up till in soil-preservation the .expenditure has tn stop. The position would he met more adequately if in such cases some direct help were given from the petrol tax. At present no portion of the highway funds is granted for hy roads, while at the .same time to secure highways money for declared roads, the local body in the matter of maintenance is responsible for a third of the cost which must he formed. There is. therefore, no suggestion of something for nothing in regard to the highways. For bv-mad.s the Council has to do the best it can- and finance is invariably the difficiiltv.