THE ROADING PROBLEM.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 473, 12 June 1912, Page 3

THE ROADING PROBLEM.

Mr A. Scholes, chairman of the Waitotno County Council, returned to Te Kuiti on Sunday morning from VVaifcara, where he had beer, attending the sitting of the Licensing Committee. While in Taranaki Mr Scholes visited Eltham district, and inpected the road making methods adopted by that county. In conversation with a Chronicle representative Mr Scholes said the roads in question were being constructed on thoroughly up-to-date lines, and extreme care was being taken to have them cumpleted with a perfectly even surface. For this purpose they were being thoroughly rolled with road rollers, and where possible, the roads were closed for traffic until the rolling operations had been accomplished. Afterwards they were being coated with tar. Regarding the application of similar methods to this distirct Mr Scholes said he did not think the King Country was sufficiently advanced to be able to adopt such a system. The Kith am district was closely settled and highly cultivated, and the land was able to bear the cost. Moreover, the work consisted chiefly of remetalling, and permanency was essential, as the elementary req ;irements of the district were filled. In the King Country it would be extremely difficult to induce the ratepayers to undertake the heavy cost necessary to metal the roads ut the manner adopted at Eltham. Moreover, in view of the fact that a great number of new roads will have to be constructed, and the roads widened, or deviated, the time has hardly arrived for such expensive methods. At the same time the experience of other districts puints plainly to the fact that our settlers will have to be prepared to undertake fairly heavy responsibilities in the n c ar future (said the county chairman), but as settlement is increasing and commercial development taking place rapidly the responsibilities should not be unduly felt.