GOOD ROADS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4675, 17 March 1924, Page 3

GOOD ROADS.

IMPRESSIONS OF AN EXPERT.

Mr Patterson, of the United States, who came out to New Zealand a few months ago as an expert on asphalt paving to assist the Wellington Corporation in the erection of machinery and to instruct it in regard to what is known as the hot mix in tegai d >. < road formation, is at present on a short visit to Dunedin. '• I have had a look over the streets and the asphalt plant in Dunedin," said Mr Patterson in the course of a conversation with a representative of the Otago Daily Times recently, “ami while I may differ from the authorities as to the kind of plant in use there is no doubt that their method is right, and is producing good result-. jf The work at which I looked yesterdav was good, and was done in a businesslike manner. A great many people New Zealand to-day are making the same mistake as we made in the United States. They are issuing J* ' bonds, due in 20 years or more, and are using the money to put down, roads that will not last, with the re suit that they are burdening the future generation with a debt while they would receive absolutely no benefit. For instance, a few years ago the Levels County Council issued bonds for £lo,ooo'due in 26 years, an! used trie money in putting blue metal roads down. These roads are non failing, and it is safe to say that within the next two years, under the present traffic conditions, they will oc done. Consequently, the burden of the payment of interest and sinking fund will have to be borne for the next 12 or 13 years without any benefit being derived. This is a waste of money. In Wellington, on the Hutt Road, we are using a mixture similar to that used in Dunedin, with the exception that instead of putting down a concrete foundation we are utilising the present foundation and adding thereto. three inches of . bituminous face, and on top of that we are adding a top course of two inches. All th !.-> work is being done for less than lbs per square yard. I do not think the country roads in New Zealand uomd require more than 33£in. of pavement, costing approximately 7s per squaie yard. These pavements are built to last 20, 25, or even 30 years ; in fact, we have many. pavements of similar construction in the United States that are now more than 30 years old, and e the expense of upkeep in many in’stances has not amounted to even a %d. ' ’ » .

“ Ti’.c roads generally in New Zealand have ideal foundations. There is an abi ndance of metal in the river beds, and there is no reason why the hot mix should not be adopted at small cost to the ratepayer. This mix I is been demonstrated in the Unite ! State.? as being the only method that will withstand modern traffic conditions? A great deal has been said about the penetration method, l >it in the United States we have j radically discarded it as being nns Itable for modern traffic conditions. The percentage of penetration method \ lz rk in the United States has steadily decreased in the last five year.--, because its adoption results in roads I liat "annot stand heavy traffic. I wish to emphasise this point because 1 Imre is some talk of adopting this method on account of its cheapness T he initial’cost of a road should not l•> the only consideration, because a cheap work is very often the dearest in the long run. •‘I find in New Zealand a great <i<-al *of co-operation between the motor car owners and the authorities controlling the roads. The former'arc willing to pay for them. As thej aie the greatest users of the roads th,y should be accommodated. "A great many things have been sairl about the construction of gool roads in competition with the railways.. It has been demonstrated in the United States that good roads aie ■<>f benefit to the railways because they h ive led to increased production on the farms and have taken from th', railways the short haul, which is not a money producer. In a great many instances a motor lorry backs up to the farmer’s door and hauls hi.s produce to the market, thereby saving 10-ss in shrinkage and the additional cost of transport from the farm Io the railway and from the railway to the market.

Tn reply to a question Mr Patterson said that undoubtedly the question of road formation and maintenance must he considered in the light of the enormous expansion of motor traffic within recent years. He said Inunderstood that there were at present st me 60,000 motor cars in New Zealand, and he added that he was confident that the number would be increased to 60’0,000 within the next ten years. In the United States at the present time there was one motor car /<•"• every seven persons, and in Cali•f»rnia tfiere was one for every foil-

persons. The buying capacity of the people in New Zealand was greater that of the residents of the Unites States. The Increased revenue from 600,000 motor cars would more than provide for the maintenance obligations in securing good roads, and

would meet the burden of the indebtednes s without any . complaint from the owners of cars. The con”**~"trcllirg authorities would have to alter their methods and construe: roads that will stand the anticipated traffic for the next 25 years. Therefore the roads must be better than they had been in the past, and must be sufficiently strong to stand modern traffic