IMPROVING THE ROADS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18455, 19 July 1923, Page 8

IMPROVING THE ROADS.

CONTROL OF HEAVY TRAFFIC.

PQWERS OF ; LOCAL BODIES.

HINT FROM MR. COATTvS. [bt' telegbaph.—special BEPOBTEB.] WELLINGTON, Wednesday.' A new system of finance to ( enable comity councils and other bodies to cope with ' reading requirements for motor transport, was recently urged by Mr. A. .Bell (Bay of Islands), in the House of Representatives. .

The Minister for Public Works, the Hon. J. G. Coates,. replied to-day as follows:— Government will be only too glad i,o consider any proposals which may be put.forward in the direction indicated. The main highways scheme of finance should afford a considerable measure of relief so far as main highways are concerned. , Meantime it may not b© out of. place, to point out that in many, cases local bodies fail to exercise their power to regulate this traffic, particularly with regard to limiting weight and restricting traffic which is specially injurious to roads. Motor transport has doubtless come to stay, but that is no reason why it should be allowed without regulation or- restriction to smash up roads not yet constructed to a standard to carry the traffic which has been. allowed upon them. ■ It is simply an economic waste to allow roads to be destroyed' for the sake of a slightly cheaper carriage rate by motor-lorry while the road lasts. When the cost of repairing and replacing the roads destroyed by motor transport is considered it will be found that a great deal of the supposed cheapness exists only in the imagination.