THE DUST DANGER

Southland Times, Issue 21577, 15 December 1931, Page 8

THE DUST DANGER

DISCUSSED BY MOTORISTS. “The dust danger is a question of the health of the community,” said Mr F. W. Johnston (president of the South Island Motor Union), speaking at the quarterly meeting at Blenheim on Friday (reports the correspondent of the Christchurch Times). “We should take our medical friends into our confidence to eliminate tills danger. Engineers are considering a system of roading which is less expensive, but which will make roads dustproof.” A remit from the South Canterbury Automobile Association urged that the South Island Motor Union should approach the Highways Board with a view to ascertaining what steps could be taken effectively to combat the dust danger on the highways. Mr J. Palliser (South Canterbury) said that calcium chloride had been tried, but had proved too expensive, as compared with modern asphalting. The Waimate County Council had conducted experiments with calcium chloride, and it had been a great success. The road so treated had lasted six or seven years. It had been graded in just the same way as an ordinary shingle road, and one could drive over it at forty miles per hour without raising any dust. The secretary (Mr P. R. Harman): The cost would be about £3OO a mile on a thirty-foot road.

Mr W. Carey (Canterbury) said that engineers were considering using the materials at present on roads and treating them with oil. This was dearer than tarsealing. It was decided to refer the matter to the executive for a report.