THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 1922. HEAVY MOTOR TRAFFIC.

Otaki Mail, 22 March 1922, Page 2

THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 1922. HEAVY MOTOR TRAFFIC.

The. action of thr Horowhenua County Council &'i its las-t rr.feting in deciding to frame *>y-iaw« to restrict tie weights of motor lorrk** »fAng the country road, provides ari instance <A the increasing volume of freight that is being diverted to this f««n of conv'ev&nce, and the apparent faihure of the policy of the Railway Department to hold its business against motor coraThe point of vie-*- that affects the Cpunty Council, of course, is the serious tvear ana te«r to which it-

irincipal highways are being subjoctd. Owing to its geographical position, he main arteries of traffic traverse the ounty from one end to the other--rom the Wnikaime River to the \Virotino bridge over the Manawatu River hi the one hand, ami to a point north pf Tokomara township on the other. >oth of these routes being main lilies if traffic branching at Levin to the lorth and north east respectively. '•' l e ipproxlmate length of these stretches )f roadway is 57 miles, and it is over hese routes that a heavy and eontinu>us stream of traffic has been passing "or some considerable time. It is not | :o bo wondered at. therefore, that the | roads are suffering, and their condition in the vicinity of Otaki is ample j svidence of this. If this state of af- ; fairs is to continue, the demands upon [ the County finances for upkeep is go- ) ing to be an excessive burden, and the i local authority's oidy recourse is to take action to protect itself, such as the adoption of the proposed by-laws, j But even that will not remove the trou- | ble —it will only mitigate it. It is a well-known fact that motor traffic can compete successfully with the railways I on the lßttor % present schedule of carriage charges, but it seems impossible that such a policy which is losing I freights on one -hand ami casting an I unwelcome impost on the ratepayers | in road maintenance charges on the ! other, can continue indefinitely. Fin- i alty must be reached sooner or later, | and it seems that that end will be attained all the sooner if the public bo- \ dies which are affected in the same < way at the iloro'whenun County, with a strong backing of public opinion, make representation to the Government | with n view to a re-modelling of the railway charges on n basis that will attract the business now- being diverted to the roads per medium of motor vehicles, and lift a burden from the lo- • cal bodies and the ratepayers for which they are in no way responsible.