TARRING OF DEVON STREET

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 80, 13 July 1910, Page 2

TARRING OF DEVON STREET

The borough enginer, Mr. A. H. Kendall, reported on Monday night to the Borough Council: Confirming my statement to your Council at the last meeting that I could not at the time state what in my opinion was the cause of the alleged failure of the tar in Devon street to stand, 1 have now the honor to report as required that several reasons contributed to cause the centre to break up, and these reasons are as follows:—(1) Time of application; (2) weather; (3) extraordinary traffic; (4) lay of the street. 1 will take these in the order given. ' Time of application.—The time of application was undoubtedly late in the season, but even in spite of that lateness had the weather kept fine as it has done other years for a sufficient length of time, I think the work would have set much better than it did. It is only fair to state that I was not altogether responsible for the lateness of the application.

Weather.—The weather, not long after the application, broke up, and since then it has on many occasions been very bad indeed.

Extraordinary traffic. known that the closing of Powderham street has forced a very large volunle of traffic into Devon street.

Lay of the street.—ln spite of the lateness of the season and the extra traffic, in my opinion the street would have had a much better chance if the sun could have had access to it that it has to, say, Egniont street, which is east and west. It is only fair to myself to state that no want of supervision, careful preparation and application, or anxiety to .have a really good job, existed at any time, and when it was found that J,he surface had broken up badly and the weather did not improve, the cartage of blinding to place on the new metal in Queen street was suspended, and the worked-up tar was carted from Devon street instead, and every ounce of that removed was used in Queen street.