TAR-SEALED ROADS.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 May 1919, Page 5

TAR-SEALED ROADS.

TARANAKI COUNTY'S FORWARD POLICY. .'LOAN OF £ BO,OOO TO BE RAISED. A special meeting of the Taranaki County Council was held yesterday. Present: Crs. J. S. Connett, A. E. Laurence, J. B, Simpson, J. Wooldridge, C. Andrews, A. Morton, G. Capper and J. Andrews. The chairman, in introducing the tarsealing proposals, stated that at the January meeting a committee, consisting of Crs. Connett, McAllum, Morton, Laurence and Wooldridge, were set up to make enquiries into the cost and maintenance of concrete, tar-grouted and tar-sealed roads, with a view to the council's adopting some improved, and, if possible, more economical method of roading for the carrying of the everincreasing traffic. The matter was first deferred to permit the engineer, Mr Branch, taking up his duties and associating with the committee in their investigations. Since then pressure of other important work prevented the report being brought down until the present meeting. At first the committee were favorably disposed towards concrete roads as being more permanent and costing less in upkeep, but the following objections put it out of consideration for the present: (1) It meant the construction of a new road at an approximate cost of 7s per yard of surface, and for a 15 feet roadway £3B 10s per chain, and £3OOO per mile, and'

roads, it .would mean the raising 0M {larger sum than tit» committal SB justified in. recommending; (2) uuiutflW ttion would be sjtew and son* quKs|| means were desirable of relieving flg present (3) the read* fa mM places were not suitable for ffirertll tbe traffic, as it would be necessary ft allow the concrete to thoroughly get Mt fore use; (4) the stone mostly avaiklm was of too soft a nature to obtain wj best results: In America, where conn crete roads are much in favorj onljfi stone of the best quality is usedi Tin macadam was also considered audi thought to be costly, and too slew a at* i thod of construction for the eonneiTaj requirements. Tar-grouting, whiehi consists of spraying very hot tar under'; pressure on to a new or re-coated road 4 after being well rolled, followed by a coating of fine shingle, was found to be. in favor in some of the counties whereJ information was sought. The speed [of tbe work was dependent on thai spread of metalling or re-coating, both work being carried on simultaneously, It was claimed that when well laid down tar-grouting would last two « three .years without re-coating, and evan if the surface dressing were worn off,; the tar forced into the road would hold) the metal in place. The experimenter length of 73 chains put down last yeaf at Spotswood was done by this method) : taking rather more than was required for tar-Bealing, which waa simply spraying the hot tar on the road alter being well swept, the surface having ben prepared some time previously if necessary. This was followed by a coating of gravel, and usually repeated—that was two coats of tar and gravel for-a new road. After that one coat par year, where traffic was heavy, or one every two years where the traffic mi light. They had inspected many mites of this class of road in South Tatanaki, and they appeared everywhere satisfactory. The new short stretch of 00 chains put down at Waiwakaiho last year was wearing well and would need no attention this season. Therefore, the committee recommended tar-sealing as being most suitable for adoption in Tafanaki at the present time, because the road could be prepared beforehand, which would allow of more tar work being done during the fine weather season. In the opinion of the committee, it Was quite as effective as tar-grouting tad slightly The work already ' done had been' paid out of ordinary revenue, but it was quite out of the question to continue doing so, as the estimate for laying down a 15 feet road, which width they considered essential for present day traffic on main roads, was £750 per mile. This permitted / two costs at the present price of materiel. The committee recommended the council to take steps to raise a loan sufficient to provide plant and machinery and to tar-seal the main roads of the county, about 60 miles; the money to be raised from time to time, in such sums as was required for carrying «nt , the work; that the money be apportioned to ridhg according to the length of road decided to be tar-sealed, and that a special rate be struck in each riding to provide interest, estimated at 5} per cent, and sinking fund to extinguish the loan in 20 years. Farther, that the work be proceeded with in each riding pro rata, and completed within six years.

The following were the flgum produced in connection with the 'revaluations, Moa Riding, £770,834; Mongorei, £236,061; Waitara, £664,652; Omata, £200,472; Okato, £371/476; total, £2,159,095. Main road mileage: Moa, 24 milei; Mangorei, Ci miles; Waitara, 15 miles; Omata, 3 miles; Okato, 15 miles. Estimates-prepared on basis of. £7BO per mile for a 15 feet roadway: Moa, £18,000; Mangorei £4875; Waitara, £11,250; Omata, £2250; Okato, £ll,250; total, £47,625.

Plant: Tar boiler and sprayer, £1400; depot and sundries, £400; chip crusher, £500; building Waiwakaiho, £Boo^total, £3,300.

Loans: Moa district—Tar-sealing, £1800; share plant, £1192; total £19,192, requires a special rate of 5-16 of a Id, extra rate of a Jd extinguishes the debt in 10 years and reduces interest amount by £BO per annum.

Mangorci Riding.—Tar-sealing £4876, share plant £BO4, total £12,114; special 5J per cent, requires a special rate of 7-24 of ald in the £. An extra rate of 9-18 d will extinguish the debt in 9% years and also reduce the interest payable by £2B per annum.

Waitara Riding.—Tar-sealing £11,250, share plant £BO4, total £5257; special rate 9-32 d; evtra rate 17-32 d extinguishes the debt in 10 years, and reduces interest by £63 per annum. ' Omata Riding.—Tar-sealing £2250, share plant £315, total £2305; special rate of 5-32 d, extra rate of 5-16 d extinguishes the debt in 9J years, and reduces interest by £l4 per annum.

Okato Riding.—Tar-sealing £11,250, share plant £su7, total £11,617; special rate of 13-32 d, extra rate of |d will extinguish the debt in 10 years, aad reduces interest by fCO per annum. In reply to Cr. Simpson, the chairman stated that only a certain proportion of the work could be carried out in the riding each year. Rejnrding a tarsprayer he believed they could secure one in South Taranaki.

In reply to Cr. Andrews, it was stated that the general rates to be struck would not include cost of tar spraying. In the course of a general statement, the chairman stated that each riding would be responsible for its own requirements, and the order of work would bo according to order of importance. In the Moa Riding the Junction road to the chain bridge, and thence to Tariki would probably be. the first work, and then from the Junction Road to Kaimata. It remained with the councillors to decide what length of road in each riding should be apportioned. Okato Riding, he believed, wag carrying the heaviest amount of traffic in the county. He believed in a progressive policy, and they were on the eve of a great movement in Taranaki, and the council must prepare their roads for the anticipated increased road traffic. He then moved the adoption of the report.

Cr. Gapper seconded, and paid « tribnte to the work of the committee and complimented them upon the comprehensive report presented. Cr, Morton, as one of the committee, was sure the work outlined in the report -would prove of great benefit to the ratepayers. A fair amount of regrading in the various ridings would be necessary. The report was then adopted. On the motion of Messrs Laurence and Wooldridge it was decided: "That consent of the Minister be obtained to raise a loan of £OO,OOO, for roading 64 miles end including £3500 for plant.'' The poll will be taken about July' 18.