The Times. Published on Tuesday and Friday Afternoons. Motto: Public service. FRIDAY, JULY 2, 1920. AMAZING ROADING IDEAS.

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

The Times. Published on Tuesday and Friday Afternoons. Motto: Public service. FRIDAY, JULY 2, 1920. AMAZING ROADING IDEAS.

A Royal Commission must base its conclusions on tbo evidence submitted to it, and it would mutually pay great attention to the views of ex--1 fits 'Holding high positions. !t is, thereiVie, with much misgiving that

we note some of the statements made before the' Uoading Commission when in session. Mr. \Y. i'.. Hush, Auckland city engineer, .nude the amazing calculation that the; lile ol ;i metalled road is ten years. As a matter of fact, a portion oi" the present Great South Road, between the Uazorback and the loot ol Pokeno Hill, was constructed '.> l years ago by tli? soldiers, and is a good road now. In all that time it has had no attention, with the exception of Inning recently been .scarified and metalled by the Franklin County Council at a tost of about £6OO. We can well believe that the life of a metalled road in Auckland .-ity may be ten years only; seeing that many of these roads have practically nothing spent on them for maintenance. We * cut lire tr. assert that, in the Fianklin County, a good metalled road, if allowed a yard of metal per drain per annum, will be practically everI;.stint;, and will be much, better ::fter ten years' wear than <.vh°n it vrv first const nu-tod. as it would, after ten rears, have n nsolidated perfectly. This question of maintenance is being overlooked, which is unfortunate. because it is a vitally impoitant ..sped of the roading problem. The Franklin County engineer (Mr. J F. McArtl'.ur) had estimates to sluuv the dative costs of macadamised ind conmvte roads. Mr. 'McArthur estimates that the upkeep of a serviceable meialied road, 13ft width of metal would cost about Cai! i mile per annum. Such road, if piopcrh. maintained. wmld have pr ic'.ically no end to its life. Certainly 't appeal's 1o l)i- a much mnro praeticable :iroposi' i >n than Mr. ilu-h's C-'oo pr: mi'e ,r.'i annum "concrete vi-,ion"-i; on n may use the seeming contradiction in terms.