NEW ZEALAND ROADS.

Colonist, Volume LXI, Issue 15040, 7 April 1919, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND ROADS.

COUNTY ENGINEER'S IMPRESSIONS.

cAt Thursday's sutiug of the Waime* County Council, the engineer (Mr G. S. Whiteside) presented the following interesting^report of his observations during a trip through the North and South Islands: —. During the month I took my annual vacation, and availed myself of the opportunity" to observe the condition, of matters connected with roads and pertaining to their maintenance throughout New Zealand. Although every year I have made the round trip of either the North or South. Island, this is the first occasion I have put my impressions on paper, or brought tho resuft of my observations before the notice of the Council.

' On the last occasion I travelled more than 200 miles of the journey on a bicycle. This summer I have been over all the country between Auckland City and the Bluff to beyond Invercargill. In examining road economics and toonditions, my investigations were chiefly confined to the mam lines of thoroughfare, outside of boroughs, and what would be administered by county councils. x I am indebted to many County Engineers, who showed me around in their motor cars, and particularly to Mr Eastian, engineer to the Southland County. ' AU of these gentlement courteously afforded me valuable information characteristic of each, locality. I am pleased to say-that the roads in Nelson are generally as good as most of the roads in New Zealand, and are a long way hotter than many of the roads in the North Island. The methods of maintenance, too, appear to be quite as efficient in Nelson as in any other part, and as much up to date as in any of the counties in the Dominion. The roads radiating from Auckland City are a torture to travel over. There, the ordinary macadam roads have been put down with sharp edged stones about 3 inches in diameter, which have never i set properly, and these loose large boulders are a trial and a weariness 10 fast travelling. Little systematic repair work is carried out. Lower Hutt road between Wellington City arid Petone Borough is more remarkable for its waves and I roughness than comfort to travellers, j 'being much "pitted" and "pot-holed." I Even a stretch that has been tar sealed is little better. At present two steam [rollers are at work on it with abundance of water and crushed rock, pressing water bound macadam into the pores and ruts of the roadway . The "Taranaki roads are amongst the best in New Zealand. With the expansion of the dairy industry during the last 10 or 20 years, it was found that the ordinary methods of laying broken stone or macadamising roads, owing to the damp unstable nature of the soil constituting the foundation of the roadway, would not "stand up" to what was required for heavy traffic. Therefore the method of cementing the stonea together by some of the various preparations of coal tar had to be resorted to. This treatment, as it were, forms a bridge work over the soft and yielding earth and distributes the load over a large area, and also provides a .smooth, resilient surface to travel upon. These tar macadam roads have cost large sums of money raised by loans over each separate district. The interest on these loans is met by special rates, which in many instanced amount to more than the ordinary rate in Waimea, and in some cases is from 5s to 6s per acre. The maintenance charge is borne by the ordinary rates and in some parts by toll gates, the argument being that they who use the roads most should pay moat directly for their upkeep. The roads through Marlborough are generally rough, dusty and broken up with the dry weather. A stretch of about 15 miles between Kaikoura and Hundalee is in splendid order, and the green native jbush makes pleasant travelling and picturesque scenery. Through Canterbury, in many places the roads are good, but the traveller can invariably tell, when he is approaching a borough or centre of population, as the roads show the usual signs of being torn up, and heavy weary travelling is i experienced. Between' Christchurcli City and Kaiapoi Borough the road is decidedly bad. As another traveller put it, "the road had all gone to pieces.'' In Otago many of the roads axe far from excellent. But around Oamaru the roads are in a fair way. It was there I noticed two motor lorries at work hauling metal for the roads, and 1 was informed these were giving satisfaction.

In Southland privince, I found the best roads anywhere. There the roads are level to undulating for miles and miles around Invercargill. The good class of shingle found in fhe rivers traversing the lowlands and plains, coupled ■with damp climatic conditions in summer, is very favourable for the upkeep or roads. Between the town of Invercargill and Wallacetown, or about 7 to 8 miles out, where the traffic congests, the road is in a very bad state at present In Southland some of the metal hauling on long distances is still being done with ..steam traction . engines: Ihese are light machines of 5 to 6ip and the trucks are also light, holding about 3 cubic yards gravel each. Tim kmd of haulage is all done by contract Ihe owners of this class of machine do. this sort, of work, cheaply when the harvest work threshing and chaffing is done. Themethod of metal hauling does not nnd much favour with the general public. The Southland County Council has disposed of its larger traction engine owing to its being too destructive to roads and culvert! That body still owns a light traction engine, using it chiefly f or bridge material and plant; The maintenance of the ordinary gravelled roads is done by depositing during the autumn time, line selected shingle about lj inches in size along side the roadway in depots. Jhe very wide road reservations* Jq Southland make this convenient When the-wet weather shows up the pot-holes a little hne gravel is spread in the wavy places, and the wet weather and traflic soon consolidate iV Blinding gravel with earth or soft material is not considered good practice, as it has little wearing properties, and goes quickly into dust m summer and mud in winter. Aowhere did I learn of ordinary metalled country roads being consolidated with heavy steam rollers, though such are used and are essential for tar sealing or tar macadam work. However I noticed a three ton, water weighted horse road roller belonging to the Government at the Leader River, near Parnassus. I was informed that it had hecn Under successful as a metal It appears to be that the main road Nelson.to Motueka, or at least to Richm°nrparries almost as great an amount of traffic as any m the Dominion The question before the Wairnea County Council of taxing motor cars is viewed wtih interest by members controlling .the finances for road maintenance, and their engineers. The princi-ple-seems to be generally favoured, as it has been found that motorists who Pay no road rates are the most exacting tor the "best conveniences and are the most clamorous for the expenditiire of money on roads to which they do not contribute. _On the motion, of Or. Albert, seconded by Cr HPwetson, the City Engineer was thanked for ..his .report.'-which was considered, a most valuable ore • •