Tarred Roads.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 5 November 1918, Page 1

Tarred Roads.

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IN TAJUNAKI.

j Referring to the Taranaki tarred loads the president of the Otngo Mo'x>r ; Club recently related what had been done in road improvements in the Egi mont district. They recognised that j their roads would not stand up to the j work required of them. In other words ■j failure was written across iiheir present methods of read cone traction. Roads deteriorated rapidly these days, not, as many people supposed, because a motor car did so much damage to t'Aio road more than a horse vehicle did, but because of the multiplication of tllie traffic. The average road to-day was sailed upon to stand twenty times more work than it did ten of twelve years ago. Could they, then, profesu to bo surprised that roads quickly got injto disrepair, or that local bodies found it increasingly difficult to maintain their roadie in good order? These tMngs followed as an inevitable effect of the increased use of roads. In trying to make their rOads standi work for which they were not fitted they were in tho vamc position as a man trying to drive a motor lorry with a motor cycle engine. Modern traffic requirements in out be met with modern road construction., Ten years ago Taranaki''was i he worst roaded district in New Zealand. To-dav it possesses the best roads for motoring roads in Australasia. Owing to poor foundations, scarcity of metal, and an excessively wet cKmate, Alio Taranafii counties had in their roading a problem requiring considerable engineering ability. It was I soon apparent that old ideas must give place to up-to-date ideas of road consi':ruction. Tlhe first tarred roads were V not a< success, neither were others that followed; but each failure taught a lesson, until to-day a first-class roadi was being laid down i'zhat was entirely satisfactory. A partially distilled tar was now used, a tar from whioh the oil and volatile spirit had been extracted and it would nd'j flow When cold. Taranaki had madle a succeiss of road-making. In comparison with Taranaki, road-ma-king in Otago presented, little difficulty. With few exceptions their main roads had wel'l-conso'fclaied foundations and they had an abundance of first-class metal, so that there was no reason why they should not have roadts equal to those of Taranaki and ali a much smaller initial cost and suhr-equent up-keep. Taranaki Wfts an important dairying centre, and its roads carried vcry heavy motor traffic—lo-oon motor lorives used the roads constantly without doing any damage to the roads. Taranaki experience regarding cost was thaji it cost no more to maintain a perfect road in perfect order than it Ad to maintain an ordinary rclVten road in its rotten condition. To a party of councillors who last year made a tour of inspection of the roads in the Wa.'mate West County Mr Phillips (Chairman of the County Council) said: "If you are satisfied, as we are that our roads are good, please remember that we make these roads and keep them in repair, do all the other work of tho countiy. meet our hospital 15 ability, and pay all interest Charges, etc., on a total rate of and without the aid of a single toll-gate."