CITY STREETS

Southland Times, Issue 25309, 12 June 1935, Page 9

CITY STREETS

“WEARING CRUST GONE” DECREASED EXPENDITURE “The funds provided for the upkeep of streets were again seriously less than the amount necessary for the proper carrying on of the work. I have again to point out that this policy is resulting in the loss of the investment represented by the crust of the road ana that serious trouble and heavy expenditure will result. It is obvious to all observers tliat the wearing crust has gone and tliat the large stone of the foundations, where there was any, is protruding in many streets,” stated the city engineer (Mr F. M. Corkill) in his annual report to the Counfcil. A total of 3145 cubic yards of gravel, from the Oreti Sands deposits, were spread on the streets surfaces to provide a running coat. The following figures show the decrease in the work done in recent years. Cubic Yards

Two sealing coats of tar were sprayed on Conon street, from the Railway to Grace street, and on George street, from Elies Road to Windsor street, while one coat was sprayed on the intersection of Rodney, Nelson and Ettrick streets. A sealing coat of Asphaltic Bitumen was put on the remainder of the streets paved under the £60,000 loan which had not been done the year previous. The expenditure on streets surface maintenance was:

In addition to this expenditure £503 2/6 was spent from the Petrol Tax Fund on streets which are continuations of main highways. The total expenditure on upkeep of streets surfaces was therefore £3350 2/9. Further expenditure on streets was £783 0/2 on new surface sealing coats previously mentioned, and £344 13/4 on the maintenance of the verges in streets which have been kerbed and grassed under the “Beautifying Scheme. This is a very large sum in comparison to the amount available for the essential upkeep of surfaces. The table below, shows a comparison of streets maintenance costs since 1914. The figures serve to bring out the fact that, in spite of a greatly increased length of streets, the advent of motor traffic (which was almost negligible in 1914) the increase in costs and wages (which were at about 8/- per day in 1914) the amount provided is now actually only a little more than half that

1924-25 6092 * South Invercargill area added. The last three years included Petrol Tax Fund as follows: 1932-33, £4514; 1933-34, £4451; 1934-35, £3350. Tramtrack repairs, the cost of which is shared with the Tramways Department, cost £277 1/3. This is a wprk which should properly, in my opinion, be paid for wholly by the Tramways Department since it is the action of the heavy concentrated weights of the trams on a yielding foundation that causes the breakage of surface. The argument formerly used that motor vehicles travelled largely on the tramtracks can no longer be sustained since paved surfaces are provided for vehicular traffic but the tramtrack damage continues. The approximate lengths of streets is

1931-32 5407 1932-33 4821 1933-34 3776 1934-35 3145

£ s. d. From Revenue 1868 0 3 From Heavy Traffic Fees 974 0 0 £2842 0 3

spent twenty years ago. £ £ 1914-15 6346 1925-26 6743 1915-16 5632 1926-27 11237 1916-17 6384 1927-28 8661 1917 18 6373 1928-29* 7173 1918-19 5237 1929-30 6285 1919-20 5918 1930-31 6496 1920-21 5986 1931 32 4430 1921-22 5258 1932-33 4019 1922-23 5013 1933-34 3651 ’ 1923-24 6348 1934-35 2842

at 31/3/35:— Chains Miles Paved 1507 18.84 Gravelled or ( metalled 4249.5 53.09 Formed 201.5 2.51 Unformed 221 2.76 Totals 6177 77.2