HIGHWAYS COUNCIL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 75, 25 February 1927, Page 10

HIGHWAYS COUNCIL.

HEAVY TRAFFIC OVERLOADING. LAXITY OF SOME LOCAL BODIES. Among the many topics discussed at yesterday afternoon’s meeting of No. 9 District Highways Council was the question of overloading by motor lorries running on county roads. The value of loadometers as a means to checking loads was stressed by Mr W. E. Barber. He referred to alleged recent flagrant instances of overloading in the Manawatu County discovered when that body had the lonn of some loadometers from the Wanganui City Council.

While tho roads in summer were dry and in good order the counties should not be “too hard” on cartens, said Mr L. T. McLean.

“In the Manawatu County we have a sandy formation which suffers from heavy loads in summer,” replied Mr Barber, adding: “It is time that we learned what our roads can stand. There are too many overloads being carried alongside the railway.” The Manawatu County’s traffic inspector, said Mr A. K. Drew, had discovered not only a good deal of overloading but that in some cases no licenses at all had been issued and in others licenses of the wrong class had been issued. That, he thought, indicated that some local bodies were not doing their duty. One body, he ascertained, had not been licensing one ton lorries, yet in every case when they were weighed under load they turned the scale at two tons or over. The chairman (Mr llonyane) suggested that loadometers be purchased by the local bodies through the Highways Board and stationed at Palmerston North for use by the purchasing counties in turn. Alluding to the cost of heavy traffic inspection, Mr Drew said it was satisfactory to note that the Act was to be amended in the direction of authorising the payment of fines to the prosecuting local body. It was decided to recommend that the Highways Board provide loadometers for the use of local bodies. COSTS OF SUPERVISION. A letter was received from the Main Highways Board on the point of supervision of construction work, intimating that only where the clerk of works was continuously employed / on specific work would the board regard his wages as part cost of the work and pay subsidy thereon on the usual basis. Further, approval of the appointment of such a clerk of works must first be obtained. After discussion it was decided on the motion of Mr 8. Blackley (Hutt), seconded by Mr Barber, that it be a recommendation to the Main Highways Board that where it is necessary ■ for a county council to employ a clerk of works the cost of wages and attendant expenses, also the extra cost of an engineering survey and clerical work, be subsidised by the board £1 for £1 on construction work and 80s for £1 on maintenance work. GENERAL. The council decided to meet quarOn the suggestion of Mr McLean it was decided to suggest to the Main Highways Board that that length of Makino Road from the Cinder Hill corner to Vinegar Hill be declared a main highway.