GOOD MOTORING ROADS

Taranaki Daily News, 15 January 1931, Page 9

GOOD MOTORING ROADS

I CONSTRUCTION ABROAD. DAIRYING IN SOUTH IRELAND. “I was very much impressed with the construction and condition of the roads I saw in the course of my tour, but in no country did I see roads surfaced with loose metal such as we have in New Zealand.” These were the observations of Mr. G. O’Halloran, formerly chairman of the Waitemata County Council, who returned to Auckland on Monday .by the Niagara after a nine months’ trip abroad. “We know that this type of surface is a prolific cause of accidents, yet we retain the method. I do not know where New Zealand got the idea, but the Government engineers continue to support this type of road making.” . Mr. O’Halloran, who was accompanied by Mrs. O’Halloran and their daughter, motored through England, Scotland and Wales, after spending a few weeks in the United States. They toured Ireland fairly extensively and then went to Faris by aeroplane. Three weeks in. Lucerne and a short stay at Marseilles, where they caught the homeward bound liner, completed their European travelling, and they spent two weeks at Ceylon. Mr. O’Halloran said the roads everywhere were in excellent condition, with the possible exception of Ireland, where much was being done to bring the highways into line with modern motoring needs. In most cases _ the main traffic roads w’ere surfaced with some form of tar or bitumen, although some of the. best roads were concrete. Dairying is making great strides in the South of Ireland, particularly in Limerick, where Mr. O’Halloran saw much very , fine pasture land. He said though the farmers were adopting the co-operative principle . their methods were still much behind those in New Zealand. He saw farmers delivering milk to central factories, or depots, but instead of the motor-lorry os much in evidence on New Zealand roads the farmers almost invariably sent their milk to the factory in small carts drawn by donkeys.