CAUSE OF BAD ROADS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4587, 18 July 1923, Page 4

CAUSE OF BAD ROADS.

— O’ ■ ■ WATER, NOT WHEELS. The system of road-making is gruesome >in this country,” said a Morrinsville gentleman who is in a position to comment on the atate of the roads in, at least, the Morrinsville district. “ The building of road,s at a great cost and letting them go to rack and ruin for the sake of small expenditure is almost criminal. T; is a stupid idea most people have that it is traffic that destroys the roads. It is not traffic. It is nothing but water. Water is more powerful than wheels. The ruts are caused by not keeping the water channels free.” It was absurd to blame the bad state of the roads on to the amount' of traffic which used them. It was the failure to keep them in proper order. ‘‘The roads were good,” he said, “but they are steadily going to the dogs. Thousands of pounds have been spent, and a small fraction spent on upkeep would keep them in fairly good order.” He estimated that one man could keep 10 miles of road in quite good order. All the roadman would need would be a. spade or shovel to keep the water tables clear , a wheelbarrow and some loads _ of stones dropped every hree and there on the roadside for repairs. He' believed that if all the money spent on the roads were spent properly, and the roads formed up at the proper time, there would be moderately good highways in the district.