MAIN ROAD COMMISSION

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 545, 2 July 1920, Page 3

MAIN ROAD COMMISSION

HELLNSVILLE TO HAMILTON. FRANKLIN' EVIDENCE. (Own Reporter). j On Wednesday morning the Koyai 1 Commission appointed to repent on ' I ihe main road, Helensville to Hamilton, continued'Ytiking evidence. During the greater part of che morning evidence was being heard from JVii. W. E. Hushf Auckland City Engineer, after whom came the various representatives from Fianklin Coyaitv. He would favour deviation, which might rake the road Upger, provided that good grades secured, He considered that was the' oest material, having sp> iona^ 1 Ijl'e, and bituminoWi setoiid." in t(*e Untied Stiles t!io ioiK'it-t'4, roads were eifsil ( inJries and the sides* six, making art Average of%seven inches depth. Cefcatic in New Zealand favouiVoiw tor concrete re#ds Ufan in the United States, wUfre, -Ifeipost places, snow was co/monly exptii£/ieed. in regard to m-ades ir. i»e v. oliUI not j|h.e to See in l in li), as now existed -ui Matitikdu itoael. lilt; concrete* roiftl had been prove i to allow tile; iul'ge& Coliipaia ) live mileage i'oi given <»i petrol or benzine used, psr annum, Annual cost per mile per annum i'or i'lainteijance and :• inking fujid for a concrete road worikl 1)5 Jcf>»li, ihe lige of concrete years, bituminous 15 years/* load, 10 years. -JlWhere traffic wftfr heavy concrete pe the cheg§>est road. In AinrjflC&i averag#of 300 ft of concrete roadirtg, loft per day was laid r. a job. ThettFwas no need to fear t Alible fromjpracks clue toifcontractio i or expansion, as such wiwLeasily epaired. .-/ In repn , ' Mi i Ashley Hunter, C.E., Mr.fßusHfc.jy mittedi- that the matt >r of- suppryflig for mixing the concrete was swhotinies difficult, liio&gh it shouldgoe done easily enough onfcihe Grrentpm-uth Road In Mfians of rteniporary'" pipes. TSh regaul to pajjnent for a main roacfe Mr.EPush yjillineel the American Sfc;tcji. TlWre should tie a con-

tral aTtknrity respect to the mail? roads of one in the North and in the South Island, modelled <4f the Victorian Road Board sysMp. The chaiwirian said the Victorian board existed of an engineer, a with local body affairs* Tinel a men ber elected by the various counties, making three menibeijpln all. lp. Rush thought a technic:-! bdarci, consisting of three members, of whom would have engineering piill and qualifications, and one with financial and legal knowledge in respect to public works procedure, fhoulel be empowered either to authorise or carry out the original construction and" subsequent maintenance, either by contract or day labour.

In ieference to the taxation of motors, Mr. Bush said that in America there were, in most places, taxes on horse-power. Phis and registration fees were collecteel by the State and expended on main roads.

Replying to Mr. G. T. Murray, District Engineer,*- Mr. Bush said that the authorities in each state or county inn America used whatever materials they tiiougl-.t most suitable

in each case, and were not committea to concrete, which material was twice as dear in New Zealand as it was in America. He admitted that

tar roads would net stand the s'ue: s of heavy and continuous trailie. Bitumen ,vas satisfactory, as it eliminated dust, prevented rubber tyres suckdust and binding the road, find, most important of all, prevented the vvatei leaking through the load. Oil droppings fiom motors •night have the effect oL disii.tegrai-i-.y; tar-sealed roads. Mr. T. 15. lnsoll (clerk Waikato County Council) submitted that in regard to allocating cost, it was essential that Auckland City, ,\nich had not been revalued for the past eight years, should be revalued. Mr. -J. F. McAithur (Franklin fieinty Kngineer) said tnc .Main South" Road should he adopted as from Papakura to Mercer, via Diuij, Ramaraina, and L'okeno. fie total length of the Great South Koad to ii(Hlhern boundary from PapaKura town boundary to \\ nargamarino tream was ti miles, and with the deviation it would be miles, ihis deviation leaves the Great !v>uth Road at the fool of hill on northern bide of Bombay, and cor.nec.ts up with present Great South Road on southern side of Pokeno Hill. Jne - teepest grade was 1 in 15. This cut out all steep grades on the present road, including Razorbnck and l okeno Hill; V 25,250 was the estimated cc-.->t of the proposed deviation; the totai cost for the 17 1 j miles would be .67,001). "This included the cost ot the leviation. fhe road won til be <,>■ tt wide, with 15ft metalling. Another route, 27 miles in length, via luhicinian, with deviations, coulo oe out down to 25 miles, or 7'a miles longer than the Pom bay route jiivee miles of this length would pass through the Borough of Pukwho.ic, ,nd the construction would be much lighter, and therefore would not cost much more than by the direct route, it could follow existing roads and a:i Id railway track, between buclclanci ,nd Pokeno. If based on the greatest >enetits to be derived, he should say Hat the i v'lte through Pukekohe \va.•he better one, particularly in view • f the fact that a much larger coi> ribution towards the cr. ; ,t would .•iereby he assured, the district being Hi ire populous and productive As ;o construction, he favouted a nacadamisecl road allowing the nmation to consolidate for several •ars before a more permanent road is constructed. He oelieved the ty Council and county councils ho'uld have control. These >w ( ' u '; ere securing up-to-date .nachino >• id should construct and -ontrol ', e 'oad pas>ing through their re iccti'.e counties, including towr iard and road board areas. Replying i<> questions, Mr. M'A>ur /aid' the road throi _rn 1 ohe w is oonft lower at its nig.: lint on the mate than on the pro losed Bombay r<>'i<'■, aid •>•'" '' '' han at the Pokeno hill, and •'/' l ' ore ad a great advantage i i ;->m< Tie in,al, it' e,„-,linu-d nakau to Met v. add serve ih- <■<.;.!« • I 1 hos" |-ie, . ..nd .d ■ " \v!i«-r«> and Pnkekawa, and "'a hi « ' ' , .-| k 'll < "villi Ih" Gh at >' all- >' ,; - ' Mr.' G. T M'.riav fPMiM ' 1

, I( ■I, t!■" ' " ~ ( i;.,',MI II , i!; I ! ; 1 II.'.' : V;'sr.-i |' '■ ' :U' i ;l- i 1,,.-., i . ..j. 'mi ih; i (•".'!•! ' • ■■ Mi. Alan I'. I; V i: '' : 1 ■ |. iv < • 1 ' Mr. A.' M-n '<!. M ••••• ' ; iM,,.,i ■« Ml not. il <■" 'is inn in V, ' no m ule aci iin.l l,' '' , •list, >1 l"U<- i'i mi i -in. 'lite rhTh ma>i i<';>!' '•! ■''■'. 1 '■" let-.tood a. vr>c<ni'l .'••■•iiin- ■•!"'•' v ■" ■ be sot up *o allocate costs., :m( l:l ' he could liol nniLc n»v tl'.-lmitc *t.ut

nt. lie imagined thai ii the council

tarried (i 111 lite work I hoy would re reive financial consideration accord

Mr. I). \V. McArthur. Pukekohe

!'!firinii*li con.snitiny engineer, said ti.riT were three mil"s of the Paerat.i to Buckland road passing 11-r<.uuh Puktkoiic Borough, the niaki!•,ii dt' which into a good tar-mac-adam ro-id was provided for in loan moneys. It would cost l ;:iO0O a mile lor macadamised road. This would be >!)iioo, less USUO for a part already done, width 15ft.

Mr. C. K. Lawtie, Mayor of Pukekohe, said the borough was quite prepared to make the road through its i.rea, and wished the road to deviate at Rurciman, come through Paerata, Pukekohe, and on to Buck land and Tuakau, cutting out Bombay. Mr. J. F. Diane, town clerk, Pulekohe, submitted technical evidence on the borough.

Mr. F. Perkins, representing the Pukekohe Chamber of Commerce, gave evidence as to the. community of commercial interests between Auckland and Pukekohe, and other places on the Pukekohe route; also that scholars attending trie new Technical High School would be using the road north and south. He stressed the goods and passenger tratlic phase, and the convenience to all the towns the road passed through, and to the city of Auckland. Mr. Dynes Fulton, chairman of the Tuakau Town Board, said he had been o\er ,'ll the suggested routes several times, and he considered lhat route to Drury could not "be much improved on, and' from thence the easiest and best - route would be to leave the Great South Road on the southern side it Bunciman, linking up with Jamieson's Road, Pukekohe, through Pukekohe to- Buckiand by Hamilton's Road, picking up the old disused railay track, and coming out on io the main street in luakau, thence taking the main road to Pukekawa, and proceeding over the new proposed , oad leading out to Churchill, and ( ross the river at Rangiriri or Huntly, at both of which places the WaiKuto River was bridged. The comi;iMiiit v of interest of Pukekawa, Port W'aika'to, and Tuakau were all with • I".- I'ppcr and riot with the Lower Waikato, tlvral'ore the road through I'ukek ■•'!<• would serve 11 eir interests.! The fuakau Town Boa'd had made irmision for an 18ft macadamised road, leading from niair. street to Waikato Ku'er. He was in favour of •i n!ot'.,i- ivres' tax to go towards maiii' enancc. He favoured local ; ,idjt• - conii.il, as most of them A'oill<l in-ed io raise money for the Kind, and in his opinion they should ■ui !'t \i-ion o! the expenditure | l\ine; io questions, .Mr. Fulton j „id , ! ,V Pukekawa road would be beI , i :iiil ::I!i w I.ter mark. A-k.al by Mr. .1. P. Bai I ley if he ji \\;i> lair and right to take I : i... . ill from Bombay, Mr. | ; n ,1.1 Us- !i i-ii'.e>s oI ihe i irni.,f illl!i.iy was done with PukeI i i;"i with Auckland or Hani■i ■ .hi, Tli.- I !':!,:b:iy p<-o]>le would I • : ; il p'eseni road, and i •; ~ i. .■ ■»ihinu would bo taken