SIX TONS OR TEN?

Otago Witness, Issue 3769, 8 June 1926, Page 81

SIX TONS OR TEN?

CLASSIFICATION OF ROADS. “It is a retrograde step, and 1 am surprised at any farmer contemplating anything of the kind, because it simply means a reversion from the motor lorry to the horse drawn vehicle.” With these words, emphatically uttered. Mr Jasper Clark, energetically supported by Cr King, attacked the proposal of Crs Wilson and M‘Gregor to classify county roads as third class, thus making the limit for loads on the roads six tons. Cr Wilson said the limit was by no means too light, and anyhow the measure would not affect his riding, as the ratepayers _ had the river to transport and bring in produce. The lorries had done far too much harm already, and a stop should be pyt to the overloading that was certainly going on. If farmers would only use thair horses a bit more and the destructive lorries loss, it would he hotter for their pockets and for the county’s roads. Cr King said that six tons was far too light, and besides being totally unfair to the ratepayers it would not. be tolerated in his riding. All tho Farmers’ Unions would be clamouring for a hearing at tho next meeting of the oounci!. With a resigned shrug of his shoulders he concluded by saving that ns usual, theso new measures would he adopted, and the added burden would he cast on the shoulders of the poor ratepayer. Cr Wilson: Well, you’re paving through tho nose, not onlv for the damage done, but also for tho hiros charged. Get hack to the horse team. Cr Clark: You will pnv through the nose a good deal more when you find ten horse teams and traction engines on your roars. Charges, too, will increase when a four and n half ton lorry is allowed to cnrrv only 30cwt. Tlie Ck lirman asked Cr King if he really thought Ae roads could stand an eight or 10 ton limit. f

Crs Clark and King: They have been doing it up till now. and the roads are getting no worse. Cr Clark asked the meeting where ita progressive policy was. The county was crying out for increased production, belter cheaper and quicker methods, and here was a council doing its best to prevent all this by imposing a ridiculous limit on lorry traffic. It meant denying tho backcountry farmer his lime and manure, and an adequate outlet for his produce, which would not lighten the ratepayers burdens in the slightest. “It is ridiculous and totally unfair. If you stop heavy touring cars from careering over the roads nt 63 miles an houtj you will do more good. He said it would lx* a very different?.* proposition if all these roads ran parallel 11 with the railway, but the point they seemed to have missed was that they were feeders to the railway Inquiries were made from the Clutha County Council in respect to what that body had done in the matter, and it was found that a third claiv grading obtained there, with six tons ns tho limit. Cr Wilson said some of the best road® in the world were to he found i*i England, and thora the limit for those road® was no higher than 15 tons, and here they were trving to get a** cHil or 10 tons limit on roads that were little more than mud tracks. “You mark my words the motor lorry must go. The horse team will tako its place on the road neain.” Cr Clark: Never! You could do half a dozen trips while a horse team did ono and do little more harm to the road. It will lie a retrograde stop if the council sanctions a"v move calculated to drive the lorries from the road, and it will kill the hack country farmer. Cr Clark moved ns a compromise that the difference between six tons ntid 10 tons bo split, and that the limit should be set, at eight tons.—This was seconded hy Cr Driver. Cr Wilson then moved ns an amendment tbit, the limit, he six tons. The amendment was defeated, and th# motion carried.