BITUMINOUS ROADS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4667, 27 February 1924, Page 2

BITUMINOUS ROADS.

BOROUGH COUNCIL TO START.

PURCHASE OF SPRAYER.

For some time past His Worship the Mayor (Mr AV. Marshall) has been interesting himself in progressive road-making and collecting data for the consideration of the Council. On Thursday last the Mayor, accompanied by Crs. G. P. Lamb, P. E. Brcuan, and Messis E. Shaw (county engineer) and AV. Neil (borough foreman), accepted an invitation from the Tamahere Road Board to be present at the commencement of the bitumen-sealing of the Newstead road. His Worship the Mayor had previously inspected this class of work being carried out by the To Arolia Borough Council and tlm Thames County Council, as the council at a previous meeting had resolved to purchase a sprajing machine for its own uses, but the question was, which was the most satisfactory type of spraying machine to go ir. for, and it was to assist the council in its deliberations that the various localities and machines were inspected. In an interview yesterday morning the Mayor stated that the trip to Tamahere had proved a veiy interesting o-.e, as ho bad been able to see the E.>glish-made Weoke's sprayer at work for the first time. This machine is typically English throughout; be continued, and- is unquestionably, in his opinion, the machine that is most suitable for work in the Borough of Paerca. The Weeke’s sprayer is of 320 gallons capacity, and, apart from the fact that.it is of solid construction, it has the feature of being convertible for the spraying of tar as well as bitumen. With reasonable 'care, said His Worship, the machine shoul 1 cost very little for maintenance or repairs which expenditure would be more than saved in wages paid for doing the work by manual labour. After careful deliberation and close inspection of other road-making machinery, said Mr Marshall, the council had decided to purchase one of these machines at an estimated cost of £225. Arrangements were made for delivery within eight weeks, but it was possible that the dock strike in England might delay shipment, in which case His Worship was hopeful that the council would be able to arrange with the T'e Aroha Borough Council for th? use of its machine. Providing this can be done it is anticipated that some of the streets will be bitumenscaled before the coming winter. vt should give ratepayers in this borough a feeling of general satisfaction to leant of the progressive step instituted by the present council in endeavouring to provide better and more permanent footpaths and roads. The condition of the streets of Paeroa has been a vexed question for a long time, and now that the Mayor, backed up by his. colleagues on ths council, lias started this progressive move, ! t behoves the burgesses to lend their loyal support in every way possible, yet c at the same time remembering the small amount of money available at present for street improvements, • Another gratifying feature in this forward move is that the roads to be, bitumen-sealed will be of a permanent nature, and as such the cost of maintenance will be reduced to a mini-; mum, and thus the money so saVeil will be available for further work In the borough.