Metalling the Roads.

Northland Age, Volume 1, Issue 19, 20 December 1904, Page 2

Metalling the Roads.

During a recent trip through the VicI toria Valley-Kaitaia-Awanui district, we ! were forcibly reminded of the immediate . need of the metalling of roads in those localities. Hitherto the heavy expense involved in the quarrying of the metal has been a factor towards our bad roads. Our opinion, after seeing the immense quantity of gravel lying in the Victoria river, is that all future metal should be obtained from that source as involving much less expenditure. Recently a movement in favor of laying a tramline into the quarries has been mooted, but on the plea of economy, better metal, and a better road when completed, we are strongly in favour of immediate steps being taken to obtain gravel from Victoria river in preference to the tramline scheme. Many thousands of pounds have been expended on the Kaitaia-Awanui road by way of metalling from the quarries mentioned, and it is an open question whether the County received value for such money as expended. A much smaller guage is necessary than has been formerly used in stone-napping-, which, if adopted, would still further increase the cost per yard of the metal. In advocacy of the Victoria river gravel scheme, we throw out to the County Coimcil as a suggestion that they purchase a traction engine and trucks for the purpose of hauling gravel, commencing from the ungravelled portion nearest the river, and working systematically along the main road in either direction from startingpoint. Necessarily the first outlay would be heavy, but after the purchase of the engine (which in itself would prove a valuable asset) we are confident that a much better and cheaper system would be evolved. The only labour required (other than the engine-driver) would be for the filling and spreading of the metal. We have every confidence in maintaining that, if onr scheme were adopted as outlined in the foregoing, a distinct advantage to the County would result.