AN IMPARTIAL WITNESS.

Shannon News, 15 May 1923, Page 3

AN IMPARTIAL WITNESS.

ELTHAM COUNTY CHAIRMAN ON BITUMEN ROADS. MAINTENANCE REDUCED 50 PER CENT. AFTER PAYING INTEREST. The lollowing interview given in December last to the Auckland “Star” by the chairman of the Elt.ham County Council should enable wavering ratepayers to make their minds up before. Wednesday’s poll. With many years ol experience Mr Belcher says bitumenized roads reduced maintenance (including interest, on loans) by 50 per cent:

“You have some icrrible roads in this district and 1 have been surprised to find that within a few miles of a city like Auckland such a state of tiff airs could exist.” said Mr C. .1. Belcher, chairman of the Eltham County Council, in conversation with an Auckland Star representative. He went on to say that whilst he did not wish to blow the trumpet of his own district too loudly he thought the Taranaki district could be taken as an object lesson in reading. Referring to the Eltham County he said there were 70 miles of tar-sealed roads completed, and every year the council was pushing on its scheme, so that in a few years it hoped to have almost every road of any importance laid down in this way. The tar-sealing system was commenced about twelve years ago and the council now experienced a great degree of gratification at the success of its policy. “Tar-sealing is no longer an experiment. Rather it is a soundly established fact” continued Mr Belcher, “and in view of this I cannot understand why il is not more generally followed out by all counties where motor traffic is heavy and good roads are required to open up the land and increase settlement. There is no doubt that our reading policy has proved immeasurably beneficial to the district. Enhanced prices for property have followed Ihe advent of the tarsealed load in every instance, since farmers much prefer a good road whm they are obliged to transport their milk to the factories every day. Since the inception of the reading policy the district has progressed to a hitheito unprecedented extent, and the' council’s programme has been endorsed hv everyone. Indeed. I feel pretty sure Umt'a candidate for Ilie council who did not support the voading scheme would have a remote chance of gaining a seat.

The Eltham Council realised about twelve years ago that macadam roads were proving too expensive, and steps were taken to inaugurate another method. Tn tar-sealing the solution of the problem was found. Most people are aware that lar-sealing a read means laying down about eight' or nine indies of crushed metal, which is thoroughly rolled, and this is tarred and canded. the completed job being a carpet-like surface of asphalt, such as is presented in Queen street. 'I he Eltham f.onmv has found that, bitumen is superior to other tars as regards Ibis work, and it is mod generally used. About twelve year- ago w< rk was commenced on the Eltham-Omi-nako road, and the cost of tar-sealing amounted 1o approximately £->OOO per mile, in its former state the cost .of maintenance as regards this road had been £:’00 per mile each year, and. as Hint \v;u die case before the motor car came into such general use, the pres-ent-day cost, would probably be grea‘er. Since this road has been tar-sealed the cost of maintenance had been down by more than 50 per cent. The ordinary macadam road wore out more raoidlv than did a tar-serled road, which with proper attention. tc-m Po considered as being virtually permanent. Experts declared that 5” year- hence this road would he as good il w'i« io-dav. On a rough o=tir.,> . rlmnrv metal road could he ta I’-cpeled in ihc Eltham Cor'd'* for £ISOO per mile. Of course, said Mr Belcher. 11 1 is price could no! he pikon n mi "indication of what it wo "-Id to imv down a tar-sealed road in \ork’aml since the EHham. County was f-'ced with Ihc difficulty of m” urine- -implies of metal in adequate quantifies. Tn some ridings the■ bowlders for crushing had 1o he taken f’om the rivpr bed. one hv one. and Ibis materially increased the cost. -

Making tofeieii<’o In Hip wearing imaiitios of far-sealed road?. Mr Belell or c;|j,i ike Taranaki district was e*senliiillv a sinll farm country, with a multitude of dairv factories. and ihe -.umko" of lorries mol wiih on die nd« wo, reallv surprising. Big lorr!pp wiHi fivo'aiid six ton loads were thp rnl‘\ and it required really excellent surfaces to stand up 1o Hie traffic. The tar-sealed roads had proved penal to |lu> demands everv wav. innden tall v. Mr Bpicker remarked Iliai concrete roads mold not lie compared wMk tiir.cpniod roads tor country work, and flip cost also did not compare r n vonnMv. Concrete road*. af-mp ills Od per square yard a ; against h - Od fur tar-sealing. On the Eltham-'nm•

nake road toll gates levying Is 6tl per (lav on each vehicle had proved successful. and no great objection had been taken to the system. Nine out of every ten motorists preferred paving the toll to travelling over an indifferent road. Mr Belcher referred to the fact that manv North Auckland people whom he had driven over Hie far-sealed roads, had expressed their delight, at the same time saying very uncomplimentary things of the apologies for roads which were found in, many parts of their own district. The. method following in laying down the roads was also favourably’commented upon.

-Ml the workmen employed, said Mr Belcher, were conveyed to their work on motor lorries, each day. and back to the depot again at “knocking-off time.’' Tn. conjunction -with the excellent roa Is the council had a fine system of bridges, there being only one wooden stn-c'ii-e in the whole county, and this was shortly to -be replaced.

“Our hv-laws are said to he the vn<>si up-to-date and complete in the world.” continued Mr Belcher. “They were specially drafted arid govern in all not only thy Eltham County, hut eight counties of the province. This is appreciated by motorists, who are en 'bteq to pass’ on from c-ountv to county knowing that they are subieet to ihe same regulations. There is no speed limit, but. in parts, where circumstance; are thought to warrant it. notices are po'ted warning drivers to restrict their speed lo 10 or 15 miles per hour, as the case may be.” , Touching briefly oh the matter of finance. Mr Belcher said it was. of course, impossible to carry out a pro-gramme-of tar-sealing roads on the ordinary revenue from rates. Tt could onlv he done hv means of a loan. A total sum of £IOO.OOO had heen procured in several loans, and in the

course of another 11 rears this would he linnidated. The great point which be rle«ireri to make clear was that the ( n=f of maintaining the tar-sealed road-, pins interest on the loan, had been less than half the cost of mai". taining a macadam road. Wlmn the necessity of paving interest bad been »>mv>rtveii. the fatenavcrs of the countv would have a system of first-class road - which -would cost so little to maintain that the rates could be struck at a much lower percentage than would tie oo c siHc with roads other Ilian tarhealed.