SOUTH AUCKLAND ROADS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19792, 12 November 1927, Page 10 (Supplement)

SOUTH AUCKLAND ROADS.

PROSPECTS FOR SUMMER.

Motorists looking forward to the summer holidays will find the roads in the South Aucklaud district generally in fair order, while portions of the highway are in splendid condition. From I'apakura to Hamilton the Great South Jttoad has deteriorated considerably lately under exceptionally heavy traffic. Most of tins wear has been caused by regular passenger and goods services. A series of corrugations have devefoped between Franklin and the Waikato. One motorist described lus experience of travelling over this part of the road as resembling the riding of a push cycle over a corrugated iron roof. Hie application of a grader would do much to smooth out the surface.

The road from Hamilton to Te Kuiti is very good. A deviation is being formed from the Hangatiki turn-off to eliminate the long climb and procipitous descent into To Kknti. Judging from present appearances, it will be some months belore the new road will be available for use.

A new tourist service is being conducted between Waitomo and Rotorua, via Kihikihi, Arapuni, and Mamaku, The limestone road between Waitomo and Hangatiki is in a stato of disrepair. Otorohanga shingle plays an important ; part in providing good road. surfaces in the Waikato and King. Country. The stretchy of road which connects Hangatiki, utorohanga, Kihikihi, and Pukeatua has been top-dressed with this material, and it is in splendid order. Metal lias not yet been used over a portion of tho road between Pukeatua and Arapuni, and it' is somewhat soft in wet weather. The road can, however, bo negotiated- without tho use of chains. Particularly good road conditions prevail, from Arapuni to Ta j.'apa, six' fniles to tho cast of Putaruru. For a short distance after leaving Ta-Papa, difficulties are encountered in wet weather, and last week several cars were bogged, ono spending tho night on tho road. A deviation is being constructed as a detour round the bud section.

The roads between Hamilton and Taupo, Hamilton and Raglan, and Hamilton and Thames, are all in good order. In securing these satisfactory conditions, mm !i ci-c.iit, is duo to the county councils, tnusl of which have motor guarders constantly at work keeping the roads smooth and \vellcrowncd.

JUDGE CRAWFORD AGAIN 1 At Southend County Court recently Judge Crawford, who had already achieved notoriety by declaring that no one with an income under £ISOO a year could afford to run a car, pronounced that " motor vehicles are terrible engines of destruction. ' " Motorists," said he, " are obsessed with tho idea that pedestrians have to give way to them, and not motorists to pedestrians."

NEW DANGER SIGN. The luminous sign erected in the Domain Drive has proved such a succes that the Auckland Automobile Association proposes to place a similar warning on the approach to the dangerous railway crossing at Taupiri. The sign will be erected so that it will be picked up by the headlamps of a car at some distance from the railway line. In this sign, one bright white or silver reflecting disc will be used, in conjunction with a number of ruby reflectors.

LATEST SPJ2ED RECORDS. A world record for 24 hours was established by three French drivers at Montlhery in September. Their car, a straighteight sleevo valve model, covered the distance at an average spfced of m.p.h. The previous record for 24 hours was 1732 k-p.li. In tho same speed tests the car secured seven long distance world records. This is an interesting achievement for a sleevo valve engine. Among the records established after tho car had broken the 24-hour record were 1000 miles, 2000 miles, and 3000 miles. The average for the 3000 miles was 113 m.p.h., a substantial increaso on Miss Violet Cordery's record of 72 m.p.h.

MOTOR TRADE DELEGATION. The British motor trade delegation which visited New Zealand recently has returned to London. The delegation has advised British car manufacturers that active propaganda will be necessary if the ground lost in Australia and New Zealand during the war is to be regained. The delegation considers that road conditions in the British Dominions overseas have very seriously to be taken into account by British motor vehicle manufacturers, and that the latter must bestir themsfelves in an effort to devise a workable scheme that will help them to tide over the time that must elapse before roads in Australia and New Zealand are laid and maintained more or less oil the lines adopted in Great Britain to-day.

PETROL IMPORTS. Petrol imports into New Zealand during the first nine months of 1927 have exceeded 34,000,000 gallons. This is an increase of over 13 per cent, on the total for the same period of last year. There was a falling off in tho imports of cased fuels, while bulk suppliers of motor spirit were in still larger demand owing to the extension of motor tank waggon services to remote districts. Following are details of the imports of petrol during the nine months of each year:— 1927 1920 (iallonr< Gallons Motor Spirit .. 32.747,354 27.154,413 Benzine .. .. 010,810 :l.fifi9,7oS Onsoline .. 453,188 1,7(54,765 34,111,352 30.588.830