COUNTY ROADING PROBLEM.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 October 1919, Page 3

COUNTY ROADING PROBLEM.

DISCUSSED IN THE HOUSE. CONCRETE NOT FAVORED. By Wire.—Own Correspondent. Wellington, Last Night. The interest of the country at present in the roading problem was shown by the very active interest of members of the House in a debate which was provoked this afternoon by the introduction of a Bill called the Country Roads Bill by Mr, Seddon. The proposal said to be contained in the Bill, for this Bill is not at all likely to mako any appearance this session, was that New Zealand should adopt the Victorian system of road control. In that Statft there is a board of con'trol, largely or wholly composed of experts, and this board has to exercise a general supervision over road administration and construction, with or without the co-operation of the local bodies. The discussion took but little notice of this central proposal in the Bill, but turned generally on the roading problem as it presents itself in different forms in different parts of New Zealand. Sometimes, as members pointed out, there is trouble about the maintenance of a main road carrying through traffic, when the rates of the local body are an inconsiderable part of the amoun't of money annually required for the maintenance of an ordinary road under modern power-propelled traffic conditions: tout, as the debate showed, this is not the only difficulty, for Mr. Wilkinson said that roading was a proWem even in Taranaki, a rich, closely settled district, reputed to have the best roads in the country. Tt was admitted that the country would be prepared to pay any reasonable amount of increased taxation for better road service. Motorists especially would he prepared to pay for better highways. There was n consensus of opinion, however, that the taxation should he under the direct control of the Government, and that it should not be left in the power of local bodies to levy upon traffic hr such ir.r-n- tis toll gates, wheel license', or rngfhods of the sort. Dissaticf.vliov ;,.,,„ ox-pressed also with the methods o r the subsidr under the present tiw. leading as they did to the Tnultinlieatior of small counties with small tpvotitT. A good number of members declared that, in their opinion, the road of the future would be a concrete road, but the members advocating this type of con struction were 'most]*- those from closeb settled and well roaded parts of the conntrr. Some country member? point™* i out that concrete surfaces would not 1» suitable for road* with steep gradj"nt= | ciml, n = existed in many parts of New I Zealand, and would not V. suitable for [ roads intended to carry horse traffic h> winter weather, when the surface of the road would in some parts of New 7°iland be frown. Mr. Forbes was the onlr member 1c back up the Minister of Public Works i' his previously expressed opinion that con crete roads would rot bear consideratioi in this country'just yet. He urged tin House to listen to the counsels of reason and not demand concrete roads all over the country. If this demand were pressed it would be years before anything was done for the main roads, and [he work was of pressing ureeney. He advised that some type of road should be devised which would fulfil the needs, of New Zealand and come within the possibilities of our purse. Concrete was surely beyond our means at present. Tie also advised the Government to subsidise" local bodies in the purchase of good roadmaking plants, and to lend them the assistance of expert engineer*. One suggestion made hi the debate was that the speed of all motor traffic should be limited to SO miles per hour. All agreed that the fast motor traffic of recent years had destroyed the roads and created a host of new problems of road engineering and finance to be met in the immediate future. Indeed, some members declared in this debate that the question was of such urgency tl'.Ojt the House should not disperse this session without dealing with it.