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Hokitika Guardian, 14 December 1922, Page 2

“Goon iioabs” is the slogan of tho modern days, since motor traffic has come into vogue. Unfortunately, simultaneously with motor traffic there lias grown up a class of heavy traffic which makes the fullest, demands on the resources to supply good roads. The engineers tell us, and the experience is hearing out the statement that to have good roads, or roads at all adequate for heavy traffic, there must be good material. Metal rather tlinn gravel is required to carry the heavy loads which move swiftly along the highways. The pace anti tho loading are alike abnormal, and the ordinary' soft gravels, yielding readily to the pressure do not stand the strain. Metal, solid metal, well laid and well rolled, is the safest and soundest prescription to ensure good roads. But iihis class of material is costly, ns it is often difficult to obtain. Westland roads in the past were proverbial for their quality, but of late their reputation has been fading away simply because a more exacting vehicular service lias become installed. Westland in ordinary times had suitable gravel supplies for the prevnilip?, c|n=* of traffic.

In these extraordinary times it is fortunate in having plenty of metal to supply the one thing needful to assure good roads. But at the County Council meeting this week, the members weie evenly divided as to the virtues of a stone-crushing plant, and though there was an agreement on the whole as to the value of broken metal, the members became parochial in their view, 1 and because one part of the County appeared to be likely' to derive a greater advantage than another, the pro- I posal was turned down—certainly shelved over the summer months, when really the best value could he given by employing machinery. The re joe- | tion of the proposal for the time being will cause the Council to continue with the most wasteful policy of Using gravel . instead of metal and of endeavouring to maintain the roads for the traffic ! very indifferently—because inadequate- j ly by a. very uneconomical process. I Broken metal supplied in quantities ! by mechanical means have proved the ! right course of action wherever tried, j and Westland could hardly be any ex- I eeption to that experience. Tho Council did not appear to take the wisest course in putting off to another day . what very wisely might have been done with groat advantage to the fin- j ances now. That there is a good deal of makebelieve about Government methods may he deducted from the fact that although Parliament has been “up” now for several weeks, and that nearly nine months of tho financial year have flown, very little if any of the “new” money authorised for public works lias so far been put in hand. Letters were before the County Council on Tuesday from various parts asking for the expenditure of votes considered of urgent necessity, and it was resolved to apply for the necessary permission to go on with the expenditure. But this should not be. If the public works policy of the country were on a proper footing tho Government votes should be proceeded with automatically without all the delay and intercession which occurs before the grants are available. Although the votes may bo voted by Parliament, their authorisation becomes the special privilege of the Minister in charge, and districts are beholden to tho Minister for the money. If the works urgent enough to vote after the close scrutiny by the Department, and the rather loose examination by the House, they should still he urgent enough to claim the immediate favor of the Minister in regard to actual authorisation. With practically only three months of the financial year remaining, it would not he possible to expend twenty per cent of the amount voted. The circumlocution in regard to expenditure checks any rash outlay at every turn, and red tape will not permit anyone to move too fast or too freely. The Minister need not fear, therefore, that the expenditure would lie beyond the .means of the country, because ways ways and means disclosed in the public works statement made it clear that there was ample money in hand to proceed even generously with the expenditure voted. Besides, this is the time of year when the country can receive the best value for out of doors expenditure. The weather is more suitable. Also, it is a time just now in particular, when many hundreds are looking for employment, and it would be an advantage to push on with works urgently needed so ns to render them available as public utilities. At a time like this, looking to the interests alike of the settlers and the workers. as also to the taxpayers, the best use of the season of the year should lie made, so that there will he benefit all round by expending grants to the host advantage. Tn this district very little is being done in regard to Government expenditure jnsf now. although there are several- votes on the Estimates which are urgently required, hut which as was explained at the Countv meeting on Tuesday, remain unauthorised by the authorities. The position certainly needs mending.