ROAD MAINTENANCE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 826, 3 October 1916, Page 3

ROAD MAINTENANCE.

THE TRAMWAYS BOARD'S SHARE LOOKING TO THE FUTURE. The Tramways Board's responsibility in the matter of road maintenance came under discussion al the board's meeting yesterday. Mr A. S. Taylor introduced the matter by referring to the condition of the tramway track in many places where the City Council had treated the adjoining parts of the road to a coating of tarred macadam. Al present such parts of the tramway were responsible to a large exlent for the dust nuisance. He therefore moved:—"That an estimate be obtained of Ihe cost of laying tarred macadam between the rails and also between double tracks in places where the local authority has adopted the system of tarred macadam." The Hon. J. Barr said that although (he obtaining of a quotation would do no harm, it was well to remember that the portion of the road under the board's control was usually the best part of the road. No dou'ot Ihe mover, as a city councillor, was interested in ascertaining the results which would follow on the adoption generally of tarred macadam, bid such an experiment was likely to prove a costly one to the board.

Mr Flesher said tlic question was bound to become a large one in the no distant future. At present the hoard was its own judge as far as its own territory was concerned, but a local authority might interfere. Any member who had inspected the tramway tracks after the recent rains would not he satisfied that the board was doing its best. The board should set a high standard in the matter, and place itself above criticism.

The chairman (Mr C. M. Gray* said it was all very well to point out the sins of omission of the board, but the board did not desire to improve its part of the road to such an extent that it was to have a monopoly of the vehicular traffic. Mr Taylor replied that undoubtedly dming the next few years there would be a revolution here in road construction, and his proposal, which only meant adopting tarred macadam wherever it had been laid by the City Council, meant that the board would obtain much useful data for the future. An inspection of part of the Sumner line in the Heathcote district was an example of how the board had allowed the tramway

track tn Sot out of repair in a roa'i reflecting the greatest credit on the local authority. The motion was carried, after