TURUA ROADS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4514, 12 January 1923, Page 3

TURUA ROADS.

THE PROPOSED SCHEME. DISCUSSED BY RATEPAYERS. A Public meeting of ratepayers was held in the Turua Buildings 'on Wednesday evening to consider a. report, on a permanent reading scheme by Mr Skitrop, of the Union Asp'halt Co. About, twenty ratepayers were present, including one lady. Mr J. Bennett, chairman of the Town Board, introduced Mr Skitrop and stated that as the ratepayers wed knew, the Town Board would have to get a permanent reading scheme. The Union Asphalt Co. was to put dowii a trial piece of five chains of bituminous road in. Turua,. and the Tow.i Board had asked Mr Skitrop to inspect certain roads, in the Town Board area with a view to laying them down as suggested. After th<& clerk 'had read Mr Skitrop’s report, the chairman hsked the ratepayers if they had any questions to ask Mr Skitrop. / Replying to questions, Mr Skitrop stated .that he had stipulated more new metal for Piako Road than Hauraki Road because there was a greater depth of old metal on Hauraki Road. On a new read 9in of metal would be needed, but on an old road the clay underneath was packed solid and, provided it could be kept dry, would carry a great deal of traffic. The whole secret of roadmaking was to keep the foundations dry. The foundations of! Turua roads, were much better than in some parts of Taranaki. There were two methods of making a road with tar, and by both methods good roads could be obtained if the work was well done. The disadvantage of tar roads was the heavy cost of sealing every few years, whereas by using bitumen, which would cost just the same to lay, there would be no cost for maintenance for from six to ten years, according tp the traffic. Tar only sealed the surface, and therefore had to be treated every couple of years to prevent the water getting through. Bitumen, however, penetrated below the surface and formed a solid mass. Bitumen was resilient, and did not wear so much. Then again, heat would not affect it, as the bitumen was distilled to suit particular climates. Frost will npt lift or damage bituminous roads, and less banking was needed as bitumen would not rot and break at the sides. Last year union asphalt cost three times as much as tar, consequently it was not used as much. Now tar had gone up in price, and it was possible tp sell union asphalt cheaper owing to . the fall in rate of exchange and in freight.

Mr Madgwi'ck said he had visited Taranaki Ifess than a year ago, and had discussed .reading with the engineers there, but none of them had pointed out that union asphalt Was so /much superior to tar.

Mr Skitrop pointed out that, despite the unfavourable comparison in price <the use of union asphalt has been increasing year by year and now .that the price was the same many engineers that Mr Madgwick had mentioned had altogether abandoned the use of tar. There was more union asphalt thap tar going to Taranaki this year. Auckland City Council had just 250 tons. Taranaki County Council last year laid 10 miles of bituminous road, and this year they were laying 15 miles. Miles Off roads in all parts of the Country that had been tar sealed were now either being covered wit'hi union

asphalt or torn up and relaid witn bitumen, as the cost of maintenance was so high. Mr Olsen quoted the case of the Paeroa road which was tar sealed four years ago. Owing to the cost it had not been top-dressed, and now was worse than ever. Union asphalt had been laid down in Cambridge six years ago, and though not a penny had been spent in amintenance were now as good as hew. He suggested that members of the .town board and ratepayers should go and see for themselves. The suggestion was received with favour, and will probably be acted upon. Mr Bennett said that, as there were not sufficient rates to maintain waterbound macadam roads, it was necessary to have some permanent reading scheme, and to that end the ratepayers should work together and support' the Town Board, which should bring a loan proposal before them. He suggested forming a committee to aid the board. Several ratepayers opposed this suggested, pointing out that the. Board had been elected to manage affairs, and'that they were quite pi epared to leave .the matter in their hands. Mr J. E. Green, clerk to the Town Board, gave some figures as to the rates necessary to cover, a loan tor Mr Skitrop’s scheme. After deducting the £9OO Government subsidy on the Piaku road the rates ‘necessary to cover 5% per cent, interest and Tper cent, sinking fund would be on the capital value (£34,790') 2.id, and on the unimproved value (£23,350) 3.1<1. As the present maintenance rate was 2%d a permanent, road could be obtained at about the same rate. A vote of thanks was accorded Mr Sktirop for his attendance and the information supplied. It is understood that the matter will come up at the next. Board meeting and that, in the meantime information will be sought from various local body engineers who have used union asphalt. Members, and ratepayers will also endeavour to inspect .the Cambridge roads.