Original Correspondence. ROADS.

New Zealander, Volume 3, Issue 120, 24 July 1847, Page 3

Original Correspondence. ROADS.

To the Editor of the New Zealander. gju, — In a recent number of your Journal, you very properly called the public attention to the state of the Roadsjabout Auckland, and to their serious mis-mage-ment'; who the mis-manager is I am in equal ignorance with yourself, but one thing is evident, whatever his attainments maybe otherwise, he is profoundly ignorant of roads and roadmaking. The very first principles laid down by the most eminent Engineers, as absolutely ncoessary for even decent road-making, applicable to every road, and every country, have been entirely disregarded ; there has been no attempt made at drainage, though there is no country in which drainage is a more simple business, and no work in which it is more ne,'cessary. The centre of the roads are concave instead of convex, and form a complete trench for the water to lodge in. Tlip metal which should be laid on as early as possible in the spring, when the ground is dry, is laid on in the middle of winter, on a foundation,— if foundation it can be called,— of two feet depth of mud ; to say nothing of many minor points, such, as regards the size and quality of the stones, thte manner of laying them, and the longitudinal section of the roadway, which are neglected equally with those of more impor ,*ance. We have had thus far in the winter an extraordinary small quantity of rain, and yet the roads are worse than they were last year. How applicable is the " lamer faire " principle, to these roadmakers, — " leave us alone of your work, eat your wages and sleep." The small piece of road near the Remuera chapel, which was formed by a late Superintendent of Works, and which has wisely been left untouched by the present (Inspectors, is remarkably good, and proves what can be done by giving the roadway a proper form, even without metal ; ' contrast this with the dish-shaped road from Hobson's bridge to Mr. Kempthorne's property to the turn to Auckland, on which an immense quantity,— at least eight inches,— of metal has been lavished, and which has nearly all sunk twice that depth in the mud, MMid of Which I verily believe there will be scarcely a trace left by the close of the winter. What makes this waste [.the more lamentable is, that it is utterly impossible that this place can " go well a head," without roads, and now that— after waiting some six years,— an immense expenditure is incurred on that account, all is thrown away or worse, because those appointed as Superintendents, know nothing about their business ; they are still madly pitching cart loads of metal into the mud, with the consequence before their eyes if they would but see,— which will all be buried as surely as if a road were attempted across the muddy bay of Horaki. That good roads can be made in this country is clear, the best scoria being equal to granite, or whin stone as metal. Queen-street stands very well, although there was by no means a thick coat of metal laid on, neither has it been at all attended to since ; but the road-way was in the first instance well rounded, the Ligar canal formed a good drain on one side, there wje a little cross diainage done, the metal was laid on a sound bottom, instead of a muddy one, the consequence is that it carries all the traffic of that principal street, and yet part of it was made over a swamp. The roads in the country and suburbs might be put into acorn* pletely sound condition with the present amount of labor, were the Superintendent to tnrn the labourers at once off the roads, and into the quarries, there to break up as much stone as possible, till the dry weather set in, then to form and drain his road -way properly,— not after the manner of the experimental bit of drainage between Hobson's bridge and Mr. Kempthorne's, — and then metal till the winter, never forming his road more than half a, mile a head of his metalling ; it would also be well and wise were lie to substitute intelligent and hardworking foremen for the boys now employed as overseers, men who would set the natives an example of industry, instead of, as is the case at present, one of idleness, and finally contrive some means of employing the natives by contract instead of by day work. One other word, and I have done, what I fear you willJcoHsider a somewhat too long letter — Can you give any rational account of that public nuisance opposite your office, which renders Shortland street nearly impassable, for the sake of saving a private individual a little expense in carting, and for the sake of employing the hard labour men in the most useless manner in which they can be employed ? I am, Sir, &c, &c, P. Auckland, July 2 1st, 1847. [We believe that permission was given by^the Surveyor General to remove the earth, and to throw it on the other side of the road, but no faster than it could be carried away. The fact is, that a portion of the bank ought to have been removed by Government itself, being upon Government ground— standing on a part of the public'street. The whole of the ground has not been levelled as was originally intended, but a channel for the road cut through it, and the rest or the work put off for private persons to perform. A little indulgence therefore, was of course conceded to those who wisbed to build ; suid although the indulgence may have been abused, yet our friend P. and others who have found fault, should excercise a little forbearance towards men of limited means, whe, while they are building their houses, are also obliged to form the street.— Ed, N, Z.]