The Chronicle MONDAY, APRIL 10, 1916. ROADMAKING MACHINERY.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 10 April 1916, Page 2

The Chronicle MONDAY, APRIL 10, 1916. ROADMAKING MACHINERY.

An expenditure of £900 on a road roller is a heavy item for a borough like Levin's to finance; but provided the venture is justifiable as a moneysaving one there remains small cause for objection to the proposal. The roads of any district are its true advertisement ; if these are not well kept it may be said with surety that other needs of the district are not aa well attended to as they should be. Goodi roads, in short, show that good progressive settlers run them, and irequeritly they attract good settlers who are desirous of changing their location. Engineers all know that roads naade with steam rollers wear better and are better than those made bv the older process; the mere fact of the road metal being usable in larger pieces when the roller is used is an ensurement of better results. All in all, it follows that both the local bodies of Wirokino district are favourably disposed towards the proposal to secure a road roller, thougli the county council will not consider a proposal to act in partnership with the Levin" Borough Council to this end. Doub'tTess, however, the Horowlienua County Council would bo pleased to hire a roller from the borough if one were 'obtainable ; for n lot of money is"sp'ent annually under the present arrangements, for the hire of machinery for road work. In conversation with the mayor of Levin. The Chronicle learnt that Levin Borough Council's annual expenditure in this regard runs to some £30. which (added to a like*amount likely to be received from the County Council) would suffice-to pay interest at 7 per cent, on £900. for which sum an up-to-date road-roTler could be lnndedi in (New Zealand from America. tins Worship's idea of financing tlie scheme is that £300 should be placed on the borough estimates this year, and that from file 1917-18 revenues a like amount should be allocated. The balance of £300 could be met in two or three different ways at the end of another twelve months'. Meanwhile the district •would liave tlie benefit ol better roads and cheaper work, while the capital invested in the machine would be reimbursed to the council by tlie avoidance of the payment of moneys that now has to be made for hire of machinery.