TARANAKI ROADS IN BAD REPAIR

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 46, 17 May 1927, Page 7

TARANAKI ROADS IN BAD REPAIR

APPEALS TO BOARD MORE MONEY NEEDED (Special to THE SUN.) NEW PLYMOUTH, To-day. The Main Highways Board has been visiting the West Coast. Various matters of great interest to local bodies as well as those engaged in motor traffic were discussed before the members left for Te Kuiti. Most of the councils appeared to be at the end of their resources, the burden of maintenance being particularly heavy for settlers and the assistance of the board was solicited. Mr. Furkert in reply said that there were already applications for 200 additional miles of highways and the prospects of extension were not rosy. This was at once confirmed by Mr. Jull in stressing the fact that local bodies and the board should get into more harmonious relations. He said that on this trip the board was receiving more bouquets than brickbats. The Mayor of Inglewood pointed out that county councils and borough councils’ interests were synonymous. His borough had laid down 2£ miles of highway at a cost of £13.000, but had received no assistance from the board. He thought that the power it was proposed to give the board to subsidise borough construction should be retrospective.

The chairman of the Egmont County Council said his council asked for every possible assistance in regard to subsidies on money already spent. A statement was submitted to the board and it showed that to complete 131 miles of highways £34,000 was required. There was £ 14,000 owing to the council by the board as subsidy earned, but not yet received. If the council could get this sum for the next year it would help considerably to complete the road to the northern boundary of the county. There were ten bridges requiring attention on which nothing had been done and £4,501 a year was wanted for bridges alone.

Mr. Furkert said the board would have to make strenuous efforts to pay. He did not know whether they could pay all of the £18,500 this year, but they would do their best. Upon arrival at New Plymouth it was pointed out to the board that recently there had been a very large increase in the amount of traffic on the road. The council, however, was unable to tar-seal it out of revenue. The road was now going back in condition and the estimated cost of reconstruction and tar-grouting was £46,000. The amount the council was now contributing was insufficient to keep the road in repair, but it was all they could afford. They therefore asked the board if it could see its way clear to increase the subsidy to £2 for £l. ’ The council thought the road could not be kept in order without targrouting as the supply of metal was limited. At present the road was costing £166 a mile. It was considered that the average number of vehicles traversing the road daily would be about 200. A remission of the present contribution of £ 443 a year was also sought by the council. Mr. Furkert considered the request rather excessive. He said the board would favourably consider an increase of subsidy. To one of the deputations Mr. Furkert explained that the council’s traffic inspector had power to make a driver of an overloaded lorry stop and dump the overweight on the side of the road. Sufch action would be far more effective than fines in stopping the practice which did so much damage to the roads. The speaker advised the council to obtain load-meters. He questioned whether local bodies were receiving all the heavy traffic fees and other revenue they might.