GOOD ROADS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1776, 14 June 1913, Page 25

GOOD ROADS.

LESSONS OP THE FAR EAST. "In Hie Far East the railway companies are of tho opinion that the roads of tho country arc one of their greatest helps, for they enable the people to get to tho stations and tho producers to bring their produce more quickly for transport. I was questioned about the roads in Australia, and when I told them what they were liko' people would hardly believo me." In these, words, Sir. C. E. Waters, a member of tho Automobile Club of Australia, who lias just returned from a tour through tho Far East, summed up the result of his impressions in conversation with .a Sydney "Telegraph." representative the other day. Sir. Waters toured through Southern China, Tonquin, Annam, • Cochin China, ■ Siam, Malay Stales, Burmah, South India. Ceylon, Java, Borneo, and the Dutch East Indies, travelling a great deal in most of these places bv motor-car, and he took special notico and studied the roads of tho different localities ho traversed. "In tho countries comprising FrenchIndo China, tho motor-car is very much in evidence," he said, "and in Saigon, nearly half of the white population own cars. They find they are absolutely essential to get about. In any case, they never travel with horses in tho heat of the day. Tho Toads of the French possessions are magnificent. Thev are splendidly made, broad, smooth, and flat, and all macadamised. Tho, maintenance work is varcelled, out into distances of so many kilometres, a gang of coolies being in charge of each section. In this manner tho least defect

is promptly remedied as soon as noticed, In Singapore tho roads are also kept in splendid condition in the same way. In Java, particularly, the roads receive the greatest attention, and the Automobile Association of Java is an organisation working in conjunction with the official Tourist Bureau and the Government Roads Department. The roads are regularly inspected, and necessary repairs and improvements are undertaken with the least possible delay. What impressed me. greatly was the immense importance all these countries attach to their roads.' Different authorities I spoke to said that tho foremost evidence of civilisation was good roads. I think the best, roads I came across during my travels were in tho French portion of the Far East and Java, where they are all lined with long avenues of spreading trees.

"In Javii each section of tlio community lias to provide so much labour per week towards the upkeep of the roads. In the French possessions the roads are kept in order by prison labour. In that portion of China I went over the roads were very bad—where there are any—and they experience Hie greatest difficulty in getting about quickly, consequently they are beginning to recognise that the interior has l>een retarded, and they ar'o now making line broad thoroughfares in Southern China. So far as New South Wales is concerned, I earnestly hopo that every road-user will help the unselfish labours of men who are trying, by the aid of good roads, to benefit the whole community. In my opinion," ho concluded, "there is enough money spent now to keen the roads in good order if only properly and fairly applied."