CONCRETE ROADS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1669, 1 February 1917, Page 2

CONCRETE ROADS.

THE subject, of concrete roads is exercising the minds of local governing bodies throughout the Dominion. It is only a mat t er of .time when county councils in this district will have to face the question of substituting concrete for the heavy maintenance of metal roads. Kef erring to metal roads the Auckland Herald says : —The problem of reading is world-wide and universal. It concerned the Senate of Ancient Rome as it does the City Council of modern Auckland. It is of common interest to Americans as to New Zealanders. It must be solved in populous towns as in agricultural regions. We may net the Dominion with railways, ,-ec the air swarming with aeroplanes, dig canals and improve waterways, but the road will still remain an absolute necessity. Hoad discussions are always timely, for until the reading problem is satisfactorily solved vehicular communication can only be carried out at an extravagant and appalling waste of money and material. The use of concrete is milking giant strides in the United Stales and Canada, is coming to the front in Britian, and is attracting attention throughout (he road-worried world. The consideration of concrete for reading affects the country districts its much its the cities, for the cities can endure wasteful and futile road-making methods better than the agricultural areas. Both town and country must approach the problem in the same intelligent and business-like spirit if they are to meet and solve it. To both, the first condition of the problem is that a road is a permanent investment. It is impossible to lay down adequate roads from local revenues. They represent a capital outlay which must be regained by a sinking fund, while interest is being also earned. This is vaguely understood, but it is not sufficiently realised that the cost of maintenanee in effective condition is the dominating factor in estimating ultimate cost. A cheap road is a costly road because it does not wear, and because several times its original cost must be spent upon it within a few years to keep it in any sort of condition; usually it cannot be kept in good condition, and if not remade, over and over again, soon becomes utterly bad. The cheapest road, the only really cheap road, is one which, when once made, can be kept in sound order and good condition tit the minimum annual cost for repair end maintenance. 'flues valued, it is undeniable that the concrete road is the best, and in the end the cheapest known to modern engineering. It is a true permanent investment, being practically everlasting at an exceedingly low maintenance cost. For city roads there are few admissible rival materials; for country roads there arc none. The only objection that can be raised to concrete roads, soundly laid by skilful engineers and competent foremen, is that the first cost is heavy. As a matter of fact they cost considerably more per mile than ordinary macadamised road, until after they are laid; then they cost, very much less. The American National Conference on Concrete Road Building have provided the public with the results of past experience. The cost of efficiently maiijlaining macadam for only live years is set: at over hit If the original cost, while that of maintaining concrete is set ;it less than two per cent. In twenty years a macadamised road costs over twice as much as a concrete road, and at no time is it as good. The economy of paying at first about 40 per cent, more for concrete than for macadam is apparent. Nor must it be forgotten that the money spent on concrete roads is spent within the country, going wholly to home labour and home industries. In New Zealand the cement-making industry may be termed indigenous. The “Roadless North” has its lime deposits, its sand and its shingle; the King Country is a great limestone bed; we have coal in abundance, and with peace there will be urgent need for the development of every profitable industry. Instead of towns and counties, local bodies and public works department, squandering their money on roads that give lit-

tie satisfaction, and are soon worn to the bone unless extravagantly ■repaired, the concrete road should be discussed and considered on its merits, and if found good adopted as a national system.”