THE EVANSDALE-MERTON ROAD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20959, 24 February 1930, Page 12

THE EVANSDALE-MERTON ROAD.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —In your issue of this morning there is the report of the monthly-meet-ing of the Waikouaiti County Council, with the inspector’s report of work dbne on the Evansdale-Merton (via Seacliff) road. The inspector ought to hear some of the blessings, loud, and deep, upon the person or persons responsible for the work that has just been carried out. The loose, deep, broken metal, piled upon the road without the slightest possibility of an-amalgamation with the old surface, is simply a shameful waste of the ratepayers’ money. The report refers to some parts having been scarified before metalling. But it does not say how much, 1 There was so\ little scarifying done that the reference to it might nave been omitted. If the road had been properly scarified and the new metal spread and rolled with a heavy roller, there would have been some chance of the ratepayers getting value for their money. A,s it is, the work is worse than useless; is» dangerous; it is next to impossible to avoid skidding on the road. As the traffic goes on the loose metal is shot out from under the wheels or motor cars and motor lorries to the side of the road or into the ditches. The next time the grader passes along it pushes some of the metal back again. Again it is shot out by the cars. And this sorry business goes on, and will go on until there is some way of making those responsible answerable for it. We have heard a whisper that the Main Highways Board is the party we should look •+ 18 7 the more should it be asked to account for this lapse from the principles of good road tnmneenng. b In the event of an accident caused bv the loose metal on the road, who would be answerable? Would the unfortunate ratepayers have to foot the bill’ This is not a remote contingency, for last week l narrowly escaped crashing into a milk to the high ridge of loose metal m the centre oi the road makin" my car skid badly. I hope that other *+i' • r ,°. will .give their views about this section of the road and the officials responsible for the deplorable waste of public money.—l am, etc. February 22. Motorist.