Untitled

Hokitika Guardian, 14 March 1924, Page 2

Tur County Council on Tuesday afternoon discussed the recurring question of road machinery. There was sonic opposition to modern methods ol maintenance, probably because man is Usually slow in giving, up old ideas and pi act ices. Conservative ever, new methods are received with doubt, and the doubting ones are not convinced emily. But all the world over, road making machinery lias come into vogue «uq perhaps New Zealand ol all coun11no is the least progressive counliy in adapting itself to the new ideas. But circumstances are ■'"forcing the change i.n the country, and the Dominion is coining into line. Even the Gnvernn,i nt was slow to move at one stage, but when officers wine sent to Amciica anil elsewhere, they returned full of new ideas gained in other places. AYe know how the Americans accomplished the cutting of the Panama Canal with wonderful machinery cieated for the purpose. New Zealand applied t'.ie principles of those machines to its task in draining the Hauraki swamp lands. Then, after long delay, the Public Works Depaitmcnt began to realise wluit. could be done will] steam shovels, boring machines for tunnels and so on. But there were stages always when the sceptical shook- their beads. There were the doubting Thomases who did not believe in the dredging of Ilium Flat till the Americans showed what could be done, alter the New Zealanders and the. Australians bad failed at the task. So with the roads, the class of traffic now using the highways, calls for different treatment to the time of the wheel-barrow or the tip-dray. Operatiwns must needs be on a larger scale here as elsewhere.

A .n so if has come about that the new conditions call for now methods, am! adaptable machinery will alone meet the position. The point about machinery is that if used constantly, it must do a great volume of work, and in dealing with heavy matter there must he considerable wear and tear. This is inevitable for it is proof that the job is being done. At the same time the wear and tear oil the roads are more constant than ever, and it requires greater attention to the work. But in the end the economical results arc achieved. In the first place the traffic is catered lor—traffic is now delayed or inconvenienced by the work being long drawn out. Alachineiy lends itself to despatch, to celerity of pr i forma nee. In tho second place, a had spot may not get wor.se because t!i“ machinery provides the means to overtake the maintenance jobs. And thirdly there is the satisfaction and security to the community that the highways tiliieh carry the trade and coimneice of the district and provide the facilities for free intercourse among the people, are there ready at hand foilin' best service at all times. Good roads are the essential of modern times, and they arc not, possible now unless maintained under modern conditions—which apply alike to the machinery and to the material used. The latter is often a product of the machinery itself and call be produced only in economic quantities by the use of machinery. The trend of the times is to tise machinery more and more. That is happening all over the world, and the eountrv or district which lags behind is only delaying its own natural pi ogress.