The Thames Star. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1917. BETTER ROADS NEEDED

Thames Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 18486, 30 October 1917, Page 2

The Thames Star.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1917. BETTER ROADS NEEDED

<9nr mnx $Hotto ' 'With mrtlico towards none ; with charity for all; with firmneas in the right, as God gives us to see the right . . . . —Lincoln

lhe question, of road construction is always a vital one iv couutiy distriots, the problem being to combine utility with economy in providing a good road surface. Sine© the advent of the motor oar old systems of making roada must give way to somofching more up-to,-date. We nua.y have been in the past content, to plod along in duwt in summer or flounder through mud in winter, on roads which were specially constructed to provide innumerable jolts, to every square, yard, wreck the nervous system, and convert vehicles into ruin*. But that sort of thing must ' give place to ■something more in accord with the spirit of the tunas, and the eve of the Thames County elections is a fitting time to give prominence to this important question. In America, the use of concrete has solved the problem. Though expensive to ' lay down, the small cost of eubsequemt upkeep justifies the outlay. Some sut.tenj.pit fias already been made in the Auckland province to introduce concrete) roads, and further work in this direction is desintbli. Tlie matter has gone beyond the experimental istag I©. The utility of concrete raiding has been fully deinonwtrated, and the necessity of wheel traffio demands the more general adoption of a method which abolishes dust, provides an even smooth road surface, and does away with a constant, expensive outlay upon repairs to thoroughfares' that, 1 despite this expenditure, ' are never decently fit for traffic. At-a recent meeting of the Mnta.muta County ' Counoill a report, upon the question of mad construction was .submitted by Mi- F. Shannon, the County engineer, in which ho strongly advocated th'ef adoption, of concreilf'. lie nghtly contends that old method; have be-^ come obsolete, aud sincei the advent of motor cai^s, with their constantly increasing traffic, the sooner we take stops to provide! the be«t kind of road to oai*ry that traffic the sooner we shall cease to waste money. The question -is commended to the attention, not only of candidates for the Tham.'esj County elections, but to the ratepayers Avhose duty it is to elect, those .councillors. II 1 good roads are * needed, the electors aaus* §pg to it tihat the right

! men ai-e returned, as "whoever are elected, they will control the situation, for good, or for ill, Jar. the neixt three years. And there is nothiugi more important to country residents i than good roads, providing safet and .speedy connection with the town. I We intend to again refer to this question prior to the elections.