TARRED ROADS.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 October 1918, Page 7

TARRED ROADS.

BEAISE FOR TMANAKJ. High praise for Taranaki roads was given at the annual, meeting of the Otago Motor Club (reports the Otago Daily Times). The president (Mr. AE. Ansell) gave a very interesting address on the subject of good roads, and relate'd what had been done in this direction in Taranaki. They recognised that their roads would not stand up to the work required of them.. In other words, failure was written across their present methods of road construction. Roads deteriorated rapidly these days not, as many people supposed, because a motor car did so much more damage to a road than did a horse vehicle, but because of the multiplication of traffic. The aveage road to-day was called upon to stand 20 times more work than it did 10 or 12 years ago. Could they, then, profess to be surprised that roads quickly got into disrepair or that local bodies found it increasingly difficult to maintain their roads in good' order? These things followed as an inevitable effect of the increased use of the roads. In trying to make their roads stand work for which they were not fitted they were in the same position as a a man trying to drive a motor lorry with a motor-cycle engine. Modern traffic requirements must be met hy modern road construction. Ten years ago Taranaki was the wont roaded district in New Zealand. To-day i,t possessed the lest motoring roads in Australasia. Owing to poor foundations, scarcity of suitable metal, and an excessively wet climate the Taranaki counties had in their roadipg a problem requiring coni siderable engineering ability. It was" soon apparent that old must give way to up-t<j-date ideas of road construction. The first tarrqd roads laid down were not a success, neither were the others that followed; but each failure taught a lesson, until to-day a first-class road was being laid down that was entirely satisfactory. A partially-distilled tar was now used, a tar from which the oil and volatile spirit had been extracted, and it was boiled down to such a density it would not flow when cold. Taranaki had made a success of roadmaking. In comparison with Taranaki ;their roading problem was simple- With few exceptions their main roads had an abundance of first-class metal, so that there was no reason why they should not have roads equal to those in Taranaki and at a much smaller initial cost and subsequent upkpep. Taranaki was an important dairying district, and its roads carried very heavy motor trajflc-» 10-ton motor lorries used the roads constantly without doing any damage to the roads. Taranaki's experience regarding cost was that it cost np more-to maintain a perfect road in perfect order than it did to maintain an ordinary rotten road in its ordinary rotten condi-' tion. To a party of councillors who last year made a tour of inspection of the roads in the Waimate West County, Mr. McPhillips (chairman of the Countj Council) said: "If yon are satisfied, as ; we are, that our roads are good, please remember that wo make these roads and keep tbem in repair, do all the other work of the countyt meet our hospital liability, and, pay all interest charges,, etc., on a total rate of l ! / 2 d, and with-' out the aid of a. single toll-gate." The president's remarks met a very appreciative hearing, and a committee was set up to go into the question and ascertain if it is possible to get a stretch of road which may be laid off and treated on the lines which have proved so successful in Taranaki.