FIFTY YEARS AGO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15613, 20 May 1914, Page 14

FIFTY YEARS AGO.

ROAD METAL QUESTION.

f CONDITION OF QUEEN STREET.

(From the HERALD of May 20, 1884).

Comtlaikts are often made of the badness of. the material used in repairing the Auckland roads, and that the scoria ash grinds to powder and only increases the fid. It is all very true, hut the real rood metal is so expensive that the iormation of all roads with it exclusively would be absolutely ruinous. It wouW cost what would appear a fabulous sum to lay down kerb-stones in Queen Street. The small piece of paving done m front of one shop in Queen Street, within the last few davs, cost £20. Tins surely leads to the question of— there not in New Zealand any stone obtainable which could be used for such purposes At present all such stone is imported, and the only material available for masonry work is'the scoria, which is too hard to be worked, unless at a disproportionate expense. It is said that there is stone of an excellent quality in New Zealand, and in several districts north of Auckland it has been found. Can it not bo turned to account? Queen Street.-As will doubtless have been painfully evident to many, some parts of the" road of Queen Street have been lower than others,' and these have always in winter time been a _ complete swamp, covering a pedestrian above the ankles with mud. One such part is being levelled at the present lime, and though the work being done renders the passage of Queen Street by no means a pleasant operation while it is about, there will doubtless be a corresponding improvement in the general state of the road when the work is completed.