The Globe. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1876.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 679, 23 August 1876, Page 2

The Globe. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1876.

The continuous repairs which are necessary to keep the streets of the city in anything like a condition to bear the traffic passing over them, seems to point to the necessity for some fresh system beiug introduced. At present the metal is simply laid upon the soft soil of the road, and left to be either ground in by the wheels, or, as is more frequently the case? crushed into the powder. Therefore it is that there is neither solidity nor durability in our roads. Either they are in holes and ruts, or they are thickly coated with metal which renders locomotion difficult. Now neither of these conditions are desirable. Hence it becomes, we think, the duty of the City Council to look abroad and see what is done elsew'here, whereby we may learn a useful lesson. The city has now grown to a size when something more than the very primitive method of forming our streets, which has prevailed for some years, is necessary. To accomplish the end desired, viz., a solid even roadway at a moderate cost seems, when we look into the matter, easy. We have had handed to us a copy of a circular on Aveling and Porter’s steam road roller, which appears to supply the two points referred to. These road rollers are now in general use not only in England, but in other countries of Europe, and are found to answer admirably. Indeed, in many cities where the work was formerly done by horsepower, they have been substituted as being both more elfective and economical. By the use of the roller the stones, instead of being left loosely lying upon the surface to encounter the grinding action of the wheels, are forced into the soft soil direct. A binding material being used which I fills up the interstices, not only helps to consolidate the road, but keeps the metal in position, with one surface only exposed to the action o*’ the traffic. Once the foundation as it were of the road is laid by the first rolling, the subsequent layers of metal which it may be necessary to put on still further help to make it solid. But with our present system each layer only supplies so much more material to be formed into dust, and in winter converted into mud. The roads now are continually under repair, the cost of labor and material beiug very heavy items. Even while this is the case there is no satisfaction ; for hardly is the street laid with metal from one end to the other than it is time to begin again. Thus it will be seen we get neither economy nor efficiency by the course now adopted. Were the City Council however to use the steam-roller, not only would the roads be infinitely improved, but a considerable saving be effected, because the material put on, instead of as now being thrown away, would be utilised as forming an intregal part of the street. On the score of economy let us just point out that at home the cost of rolling and thoroughly consolidating twelve square yards of road amounts to oue penny. Granting that labour and all else are 100 per cent dearer here than at home we still have the work done at an almost infinitisimal cost and well. Besides this every one who has any experience in driving knows the unpleasantness —to say nothing of the chance of injury to the horses’ feet—which ensues from going over a newly metalled street now. With the use of the steam roller all this would be obviated, and a flat solid roadway obtained. Thus it seems to us that the time has now arrived for the City Council to consider seriously the advisability of procuring some such roller as we have described. The cost is not great, some £7OO in London for a 15 ton weight roller of six feet rolling width. No doubt a great part of this first cost .could be recouped from Eoad Boards who would only be too glad to avail themselves of the use of so valuable a machine for road-making. The powers aud duties of the municipality under abolition will be largely increased. The borders of the city proper may probably require to be extended, and consequently a larger area of streets come under supervision and control. Without some such aid jt wjll then be utterly impossible for the Council to cope with the of work entailed upon it satisfactorily. Taking all these things into consideration, we are glad to see that Cr Ick has given nol ‘jce for the purchase of one ol* the rollers referred to. It seems to us to be a step in the right, direction, and one which will, we hope, not only havff the support of a majority of the Council, hut also the approval of the ratepayer as a whole.