TARANAKI ROADS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1822, 4 May 1918, Page 2

TARANAKI ROADS.

OVER 300 miles of roads in the

various counties and road districts of Taranaki have been tarred and sanded, and it is claimed that the province has now the finest roads in the Dominion. With the increase in motor ti'affic, the upkeep of the various main thoroughfares became a very heavy burden upon the ratepayers, and steps were taken to minimise the cost of upkeep. Various roads were laid down with a good crown of metal obtained from many streams that ran down from the mountain side, and, after being rolled with the up-to-date road rollers which the various councils have, the surface was tarred ahd dressed with line metal from the crusher. The experiment proved so successful that many tarring machines are now at work, one of the councils alone having as many as ten road rollers of the most up-to-date pattern, and many miles of roads are being taken in hand each year. By this system the cost of upkeep has been reduced one-third, and the wear and tear of the vehicles running on the roads is also greatly , reduced, thousands of pounds being saved in tires alone. There are five or six toll gates in the various ridings, which also contribute to the upkeep.