HEAVY TRAFFIC ON ROADS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2407, 21 March 1922, Page 2

HEAVY TRAFFIC ON ROADS.

FARMERS UNION AGITATION. A meeting (it the Mamiwatu *subprovineial executive of the Farmer* Union was held at Palmerston North on Saturday, the president, Mr A. Buchanan, presiding.

Progress was reported in connection with the agitation set on foot by the executive to divert much of the heavy motor-lorry traffic from the county roads to the railway. The executive recently circularised county councils, pointing out that the motor-lorries through under-cutting railway freights were inflicting considerable damage on the county roads, so much so that the councils were unable to bear the expense of their upkeep. The secretary read replies from the Kairanga and Hutt County Councils, stating that they had the matter under consideration, while the Manawatn County Council, in a. sympathetic letter, advised that it had already brought the matter under the notice of the Government and was now requesting it to have a special inquiry on the subject.

In the course of general discussion, the apathy of the Kairanga County Council in the matter was the subject of criticism. Mr Tat ton-Fraser said that the trouble was that the railways were not capable of handling the traffic. He mentioned incidentally that a test ease regarding heavy traffic would shortly be fought out in so far as bridges were concerned. ) Mr Hubbard urged that the Government should be asked to give counties a grant for the maintenance of the roads, or, as an alternative, relieve the roads of much of the traffic by reducing the freights on the railways. He added that obviously the railway management was at fault.

The president and secretary were authorised to draft a letter to the Government on the lines suggested by Mr Hubbard.