ROADS CONGRESS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20104, 6 December 1930, Page 19

ROADS CONGRESS.

SOME OUTSTANDING FEATURES. MR .4. DONALD PATERSON'S IMPRESSIONS. Of the many phases of modern roa>i construction discussed at the Sixth. International Roads Congress, held in Washington in October last, ilr A. Donald Paterson, one of the delegates from Xew Zealand, who has returned to Christchurch, told a representative of The Press that an outstanding one was the question of catching up oa the requirements of motor transport by the construction of roads suitable for such transport at low cost and by expeditious methods. "The discussions at the Congress appeared to prove definitely," Mr Paterson said, "that the United States has built roads of a higher construction than other countries can afford, except in and around cities. Since the previous Congress, held at Rome four years ago, experiments appear to have been directed chiefly to the solution of th*: problems of keeping road improvement, at low cost, abreast of motor transpose requirements. As regards main highway systems there was agreement ;hat these should be of first-class construction. Road Construction Uese&rch. '■Since the previous Congress ro;t*i construction research has been very intense, especially with regard to soils (or sub-grades) and with regard to experiments with local aggregates. instances were given of dirt roads having: been improved by being scarified and oiled, the result being that the di;«t nuisance was overcome." Highway Education Board's Tours. Of especial value to the delegates were the tours for the inspection of hig-hways organised by the Highway Education Board. This Board, byreason of its membership, is a quasigovernmental organisation, and was organised in 1920 aid in developing a trained personnel competent to administer an expanding road programme. Mr Paterson participated in a tour which extended from October 12th to 30th, in the course of ■which 24 States were visited, 8000 miles of road were gone over by motor-bus, and 7000 miles were travelled by rail. About 100 delegates took this tour, which was an example of the thoroughness of American organising ability. The tours were under the auspices of the Highway Education Board in co-operation with th« Chambers of Commerce and the Aotomobile Associations of the different States visited- To the delegates the tours were absolutely free of cost, even to laundry and valet service. One feature that particularly impressed ilr Paterson was that each delegate, without cost to himself, was covered by am insurance policy, in his ease from th® start of the tour till he boarded the Aorangi at Vancouver. These policies were for 5000 dollars (say £1000) ia ease of death or loss of limb. "When travelling over State highways in buses - seven traffic patrolmen went in front and a similar number brought up the - -. rear, and the buses travelled at 50 miles an hour. The delegates had th« _ experience of travelling through Chicago at 45 miles an hour, all the other traffic standing still. Value of Co-operation. Of the 3,000,000 miles of highway*., in the United States, approximately 627,000 miles are surfaced in varying degree. One of the reasons America ia so advanced, Mr Paterson said, was be- J cause of the close co-operation the Bureaux, or Chambers of Commerce, and the Automobile Associations. Ho was greatly impressed by the leading part taken by the Chambers of Commerce and the thoroughness with whlcb they co-operated with the automobils organisations. . ilr Paterson has brought back with » him a mass of information, mach of *_ which will prove of interest and of great value to the Automobile Assoeia- -» tion and to others interested in the improvement of the Dominion's highwayn.