MOTOR LORRIES.

Shannon News, 14 March 1922, Page 3

MOTOR LORRIES.

—» PLAYING HAVOC WITH ROADS AND

BRIDGES

LOADS TO BE LIMITED IN HOROWHENUA.

, The damage sustained by the roads in consequence of heavy motor-lorry traffic was brought prominently under the notice of the Horowhenua County Council at its meeting on Saturday by correspondence irom two sources. The Engineer (Mr Anderson), in the course of Iris usual report, said it was quite a common thing to see lorries with five-ton loads travelling over the county roads at up to •„'() miles an hour. It was quite irnpos sible to keep the roads in order as long as this was allowed ■o con tinue.

The other correspondence was I ruin Palmerston North. The secretary m the Manawatu sub-provincial branch of the Farmers’ Union wrote tau.ig his executive was of opinion il'iat this serious damage by a rousisiuHv increasing stream of motor Pa/llc was largely owing to be. dirm ;iiM oi the carriage of goods from lbo railway throng) i excessive irc.glfi charges by die Deparlmc u,. Hus causing a double waste: (1; By has cl revenue; and (2) by extraordoiary cost of upkeep' of roads. The executive asked for concerted action hv county councils towards chain in? some remedy lor tins trouble.

Mr. McLeavey helyl that t.lm speed at which these vehicles traveiLvl u.d more damage than Hie weights they carried. He saw une the Mher day spinning along wdtii a iot,l of ben zine on packed high. •Goodness knows how many tons it carried,” he added.

The chairman (Cr. G. A. Monk) said the Hutt Couniy Council was it the moment engaged in a test case with the object of having a limitplaced- on the loads going over he Paekakayiki Hill, and the decision would be of great value to county councils. He had in his possessioncorrespondence from the chairman oi the Counties Association bearing on this trouble, and it was plain that loads over bridges could he limited. The Council could take the Waiwlietu bridge to this end.

Cr. Ilarkness said it was. a simple enough maiter to unload at one side and carry the stuff across. The chairman: We have got more than one bridge. A councillor: Make it. general. Cr. Ryder: Go to the Government. The chairman: It is no use going to the Government. They are out at die moment to make the railways run d a loss. It may sound a strange thing to say, but it is true. Do you knowwh.v the raihvays don’t pay? “Rad management,” Responded a councillor.

“No; ... high wages,” said another member.

Cr. McLeavey also agreed that >t was of no use going to the Govern-' ment, bid he would like to see this limit placed on all the bridges. General assent was given to this, and it was decided that a by-law be framed to limit tlie speed ..and lo'ads of motor lorries passing over the county bridges.