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Hokitika Guardian, 2 July 1923, Page 2

Tm; Westland County Council ia to take tip to-morrow with some intention of finality, the passing of the hv-

law relatiiig to motor and heavy traffic on the roads. The roadway question is one which needs to be dealt with comprehensively. The development in thi' means of tr.ms| ort cannot Ho hotter evidenced than by the fact that, we see many instances where motor traffic is rivalling the railway traffic. Di a district such ns litis, where the tailwny skirts the ma coast only for a fraction of the length of the County, it follows there ate long lines <>f road !,<•. I. necessary to upkeep I-, bring i ommedities to the railway. All the branch roads up the Yadovs rank iu this category, while the southern roads will be always the arterial feeder to the tail head— for it is going to penetrate south but slowly. The roads, therefore, require to he specially dealt, with. The class of traffic using the roads is now very cosmopolitan. The days of the farmers’ roads arc passed. Tin? traffic is now more universal--for the transport of heavy commodities, for pleasure, and for farm products. Road maintenance is now quite beyond mere rating revenue, if the highways are to be kept up efficiently. 'the users (not to say destroyers) of the roads (as they exist for local traffic) will he expected to pay their contribution.

No doubt it is with this in mind that the County Council has designed its taxing by-law to raise revenue directly from those who are using the roads in some extraordinary w ay as to nei essitate increased outlay for maintenance. Heavy traffic makes its special demands on the local bodies’ finance for the upkeep of the roads. So, toe. d'es the motorist, who asks (and certainly expects) a better class of road than satisfied the public when horse drawn vehicles were principally in use. The onus is thus thrown on the heal hoilv to provide improved road*, both for the swifter moving traffic and for the heavier loading traffic rendered possible by high powered machines for traction taking the place of horse, teams

---when the limit of loading was more reasonably governed. There is, also, the fact that the faster travelling lorries work more evil to a road than a slowly plodding horse team. So, the local bodies have a problem before them, and experience has shown that the first step necessary to take to grapple with the difficulty is to find more money, first, for repairs, and second. !■ : about the rapairs in the most economic..'! wry for the gem'ia! Dnil\ of times contributing i.lm money. An Kit all tile local body is merely tintrustee of t ho-o w ho find the money to fairy on the expenditure in math a way that the amenities provided will meet requirements ill net too costly a manner. One of the change, brought about by the needs of tin new traffic is the evolution in roadmaking machinery. It is being found every wheui that the wheelbarrow. and the .shove!, any mole than tin- home and di-ay, will net- cope with tile class ol traffic now ecming so much into vogue. Anri the same remark applies to the class of material brought into use. The days of pit gravel arc doomed, and macadam is more and more ill demand, lint unle-s the macadam is properly laid, much of the expenditure in that direction becomes waste. It is necessary nowaday., to carry out load-making not by the rule of thumb but on scientific lines. The material has to be selected, and it lias to le laid down with judgment. There is a oiq'l for nmohinerc to operate this more expensive class of material more economically, so as to get the best results out of it. The money, therefore, to he provided bv the County Council vehicle by-law should lie used to acquire road-making plant ill the first instance so that that degree of scientific attention will ho possible which will ensure tho best possible results from the material placed oil tho roads to secure that standard of good roads which it is urgently desirable to attain.