TAR SEALING OF ROADS

Southland Times, Issue 23732, 2 February 1939, Page 6

TAR SEALING OF ROADS

HIGHWAY BOARD’S SUGGESTION

PROPOSALS ON BIG SCALE INVITED

An intimation that if the Southland County Council embarked on a comprehensive programme of tar sealing its proposals would please the Main Highways Board was given by the deputy-chairman of the board (Mr A. J. Baker) at the conference yesterday between the board, the Southland County Council and the Automobile Association (Southland).

Mr Baker said that the members of the board thought that sooner or later the County Council would find it necessary to adopt a definite policy of going on with a tar-sealin ' programme where it was justified. Up to the present it had not adopted that policy.

“I would say plainly and definitely,” Mr Baker declared, “that if the Southland County Council comes to the Main Highways Board with proposals to go forward with a sealing programme on a big scale the board would welcome them. You are the road control authority in your county, and the responsibility is yours. The board cannot express itself too strongly on that point.” LOSS IN RATES Commenting on a statement, by the chairman of the council (Cr G. W. Whittingham) that the county had lost £10,270 in rates, Mr Baker said that that was unfortunate, but its position was no different from that of many other counties. He added that certain important counties in New Zealand had not one mile of State highways, compared with the 150 miles in Southland. Cr A. S. McNaught said that the board should take into consideration that the council had 2030 miles of gravelled roads, far more than most other counties. The board’s statement followed a complimentary reference to the County Council. , < „ x-li j “In coming into the Southland county,” Mr Baker said, “we recognize that we are coming into one of the strong counties in New Zealand. You have always managed your affairs to my knowledge from a sound, conservative point of view. You have looked after the ratepayers’ interests well, without throwing away public money, and your loan commitments are not high. Within the Southland county there are 150 miles of State highways, and there is not another county in New Zealand with that mileage of State highways. The board knows that on the highways in the State system the principal necessity is that the dust nuisance should be overcome at the earliest possible moment. The general benefit of the travelling community, the cost to motor users, safety of the public, and benefits to the people living on the roads are the main points.