ARTERIAL ROADS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1810, 6 April 1918, Page 2

ARTERIAL ROADS.

THE main road between Foxton and New Plymouth is in good order for motoring. The Taranaki tarsealed roads for miles are like Foxton’s main thoroughfare. It is only a matter of time when other counties will adopt similar scientific methods of road making. There are a few toll-gates on the Taranaki roads, and motorists are only too pleased to pay out their contributions to the road upkeep. Anyhow, they save the full fares twice over in ear maintenance. Most of the haulage on the Taranaki roads is done by motor lorries. The first cost of treating the roads as in Taranaki is costly, but is more than compensated for by the ultimate saving in maintenance. What Taranaki local

bodies have accomplished with 'th® scarcity of metal thereabouts, could be done in these parts at less expense if county councillors would only look a little beyond their noses. A great deal has been said in favour of the Government taking over all arterial roads, but we are now, convinced that there is no need for local bodies to transfer such work and administration. With a slightly increased rate, and the erection of a few toll-gates, the whole of the arterial roads could be made equal to Taranaki roads, and the saving thus effected would in a few years’ time more than repay the initial cost. The present method of dealing with our roads is antiquated, and the wonder is that our county councillors have not yet realised this fact.