Bush Roads

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 22, 5 August 1884, Page 2

Bush Roads

As the great obstacle to be overcome in the settlement of bush country is the formation of good roads and their proper maintenance with economy to the ratepayers, any scheme which ■would tend to assist in this should receive , the earnest consideration of the Government when the bush lands at the back of the Manchester Block, towards the Otamakapua, are thrown open for selection. At present it is customary to fell a track oi one chain wide through the forest. When a road is formed and m- tailed it is generally, at the outside, say twelve feet wide. The consequence is that from the bush overhanging them they are always in a muddy condition and/Only dry up in^the;mid#eof summer, or during a period of long drought, which is very unusual in bush country. Hence the expense of keeping .them in repair during ordinary weather, . with only moderate traffic, is a very serious item. In order to alleviate this evil, if not to do away" with hY'aliiogether^ it has been suggested that in addition to the one chain for a road, another chain should be felled on each side^ making three chains in all, the additional expenjse to be borne by ihe purchasers of the land, who have thus been assisted in their: clearing. : We admit that where there are valuable, forest trees, such as totara and others of a useful description, that it would bejnecessary to avoid waste .and use* less destruction; but this .could easily be ;done ; by 'diverting the roads past patches of' this nature where it was! necessary :td hurrf the .sale of the lancl, ,but .this latter contingency isnot .h'kely to ihappen, and any new discoveries of tdtira forests. will most likely lead to they* conservation by; ihe : : Government. 'If the . : plan 'we have suggested were adopted' the Colony t would not be put to a shilling more expense, while the participators

of the benefits of good roads would save considerable sums of money which would otherwise be spent in rates. Another consideration is the safety given to travellers using the roads, by i*emoving the clanger, which now is so common, to human life or limb from falling trees or branches.