TARANAKI ROADS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1728, 21 June 1917, Page 4

TARANAKI ROADS.

A VISIT OF INSPECTION. At the suggestion and invitation of the Wanganui Chamber of Commerce, representatives of the V anganui and Rangitikei County Councils, including their engineers, together with several members of the Chamber, and Chronicle and Herald representatives, motored through to Taranaki on a visit of inspection 'of the roads in the up-to-date, southern counties of the province. The visit was suggested by Mr L, E. Bassett, with a view to stimulating a wider public recognition of the value of good roads and seeking first-hand information from the Taranaki engineer's, as to the cost of contsruction and maintenance of the roads ai’ound Hawera, Manaia and Elthiim, which as a whole are generally recognised as being equal if not superior to any highways in the North Island. It may be explained that tar-spraying, or what is generally known as tar-sealing, has been adopted more extensively inTaranaki than in any other province in the Dominion, and it is claimed by the Taranaki local bodies that it is cheaper in the long run to make and maintain roads by such methods than under the old system of metalling. Hence the visit. At Manaia the party were joined by the chaii’iuan of the Waimate West County Council (Mr McPhilips) and the engineer (Mr Hansen). These gentlemen have taken a very keen and practical interest in roadmaking and tar-sealing and targrouting, the latter consisting of mixing a portion of the metal with tar. Very valuable information was given by the Taranaki x*epresentatives as to the methods they employed and the cost of construction and maintenance, and portions of roads laid down by various methods were duly explained and keenly inspected by the visitors. A portion of the Main South Road from Hawera to Manaia was put down some years ago in a preparation which was made according to the English County Councils’Association’s methods —some of the material being imported—and the highway is certainly one of which any county might be proud. Most of the roads in the Waimate County are tar-sealed, as also are most of the main roads in the district in and around Eltham. The result may be expressed in the language of a visitor who was met by the local party en route: “I’ve been all over the North Island, and I’ve never seen anything ftke them. I’m told they’re hot to put down, but cheap to keep up.” Mr McPhilips, in reply to a question, said that the tar-scaled road# would stand any heavy traffic, and he drew attention to the big motor waggons, heavily Laden, which were frequently passed on the road. These carried loads of from four to seven tons, and the vehicles weighed about three tons. Within the past three years some 30 miles of arterial roads had been either tar-sealed or tar-grouted, and as the result of the success which had attended the enterprise, the progressive policy of progressive construction is firmlyestablished, so that all new roads are to be made with tar-grouting. “It look a lot to persuade our people to sanction this policy,” said Mr McPhilips, “but it would lake much more to persuade them to abandon it now that they have proved its worth.” Mr Hansen’s figures showed that on the basis of approximate average cost tar-grouting works out at about Is 7.1 d per square yard (two coats), and tar-sealing at about Is 3d, but though tar-grouting is the more expensive, it makes a more substantial and’ more lasting job. As to the cost of maintenance. Mr Hansen stressed the fact that their experience had been that for the first two years there was no cost under this head, and that thereafter it worked out, roughly, at £1 per chain per annum —in other words, that it costs no more to maintain a perfect road in perfect order than if does to maintain an ordinary metalled road in more or less imperfect condition. Mr McPhilips, in reply to further questions, stated that the good I'oads tempted -motor traffic, which the county authorities invited, for they preferred it to steel shoes of horses and iron lyres of drays. Motor-cars might tear up roads that were not tar-sealed, but -with the latter method there was nothing to tear up. He stressed the point that from eight to twelve inches of meal, accoi’ding to circumstances, sho-

uld be utilised in securing a good foundation for a road before tarsealing; the latter was only wasting money putting it on a rotten foundation. The county, he said, had to pay for its experience; it had made mistakes to the extent of £4OO or £SOO, but the experience was cheaply bought. They had used all sorts of material for tar-spraying, from various gasworks throughout the Dominion, and naturally the qualities were good and bad. Mr MePhilips added that the Council and engineer were absolutely convinced that on the present rates they could not possibly make and maintain the roads unless they had resorted to tar-sealing and tar-grouting. In answer to Mr Hansen, one of the visiting engineers remarked that it apparently cost the same to maintain the roads in his district as it did in Waimate, and the roads were always in a “rotten” state. The question of horses slipping on tar-sealed inclined roads was referred to, and the Taranaki representatives remarked that they had some fairly sharp-graded roads tar-sealed. Horses slipped at first, but apparently got used to it. Care had to be exercised. Mr McPhilips said if you are satisfied, as we are, that our roads are good, please reanember that we make these roads and keep them in repair, do all the other work of the county, meet our Hospital liabilities, and pay all interest charges, etc., on a total rate of lid, and without the aid of a single toll-gate. At Eltham the visitors were met by representatives of the County Council, and further interesting information was gleaned concerning cost, upkeep, and rates. Concerning toll-gates, which the chairman of the Waimea West County had described as “a rcHc of barbarism,” it was ascertained that the Eltham County had two within its boundaries. From one they received a net revenue of about £1,300 (equal to a half-penny rate over the county) and a. lesser sum from the other*. The rates averaged about lid in the county, and ratepayers did not grudge the payment in view of the benefits they receive 1 from the pos>»ession of good roads. The Eltham representatives endorsed what the Waimea County chairman had said, that they found they could not keep the roads in good repair under the old system, and it must be patent to all that they were now on the right track. Some of the Eltham roads m tar-macadam had been down over (en years, and there had been no renewals; simply tar-sealing when they inquired it. As a heavilyladen vehicle passed, one of the Eltham representatives remarked that the horses could draw “twice the loads” they formerly did. The Eltham roads cost from £BO to £IOO per mile to renew with tar-sealing; that was the only cost after they were put down solidly.