NOTHING BUT CONCRETE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 285, 22 February 1928, Page 13

NOTHING BUT CONCRETE

COST OF MAINTENANCE At the meeting of the Mount Roskill Road Board held last evening a letter was received from Mr. F. W. Furkert, chairman of the Main Highways Board, intimating that the question of the declaration of secondary main highways had not yet been dealt with, and that it was not likely the Main Highways Board would have sufficient funds available to subsidise construction expenditure on secondary main highways. It was expected that the returns from the petrol tax would be only sufficient to subsidise maintenance costs, on these highways, at least for tho present. Until the returns from the petrol tax were definitely known the Highways Board would probably confine its subsidies to maintaining secondary roads. Thq engineer to the board submitted a return showing that the maintenance costs on the Mount Albert Road amounted to £712 for a period of 10 months.

The chairman: This puts a different complexion on concreting Mount Albert Road. We had hoped to get a SU-60 subsidy. Mr. J. R. Robertson: I think we should go on with the game now and get the concrete loan carried. Nothing but concrete will ever do for Mount Albert Road. If we show ratepayers that the cost of maintaining this road amounts to £750 a year they will surely see the economy of concrete. A deputation was appointed to interview the resident engineer of the Public Works Department with the object of obtaining an annual subsidy of one-half the present maintenance costs of the road provided the board lays it down in concrete.