COASTAL MATTERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 June 1916, Page 7

COASTAL MATTERS.

To tibe Editor. Sir, —I was interested indeed, on perusing the. report of the Egmont County Council meeting, published in your issue of Wednesday last, to read tlie remarks of Cr. Young, when it was suggested by the chairman that the Pariliaka Road Board should either merge or procure machinery for themselves. Cr. Young's contention was that the Board could not afford a plant, as no road'in the Board district returned more than £137 per annum—a lame explanation, surely. I want to say, Sir, that I for one disagree entirely .with Cr. Young's remarks. I maintain that this is the age of machinery, and that the obsolete, expensive, hand-to-mouth methods, as practised by the iParihaka 'Road Bodrd, should long ago have been abolished and forgotten. Cr. Young also said that all the Board's roads, with the exception oi one, were in good, order. That certainly depends 011 one's standard or idea of a good road; I certainly don't think the iParihaka Road Board 'has one road in really good conditions neither will they have while they cling, to the old methods which prevailed 'before Adam. L would point, out, Mr. Editor, that in no place in Zealand is road metal more easily obtainable or of better quality than in the Board's district; .yet in very few places does it cost more to put the metal on the roads. I can, if necessary, point, out instances where n stream, in which there is a plentiful supply of boulder stone, sufficient, if it were necessary, to supply the needs of the whole district, runs parallel with the road, and where, if metal is required, the Board either use expensive pit metal or else calls tenders for boulder stone, which is carted .in to the roadside and there broken by hand. Surely this is a case where machinery is required, aud i would suggest to the Board, throng!)' the medium of vour valuable column's, that they immediately raise a machinery loan and obtain an engine, roller and scarifier combined and a stone crusher sufficiently large for the needs of the district. • The ratepayers will then find that with reasonable administration the roads will improve and the expense in proportion to benefits obtained will certainly be less, and if the rates are not quite sufficient for the needs of the Board, then the Board could easily follow the precedent of the Egmont County Council, which, while the capital valuation made a very rapid advance, p'<o advanced the rates" over-the county ratine area.—l am, etc., P. WILLCOX.