MAINTENANCE OF ROADS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2260, 2 April 1886, Page 2

MAINTENANCE OF ROADS.

[To ip Editor,] economy and retrenchment seems to be the order of the day, I think that som° different aystom of maintaining roads other than by day labor must be adopted,_ To keep a staff of roadmen per-, ambulating up and down our main roads during the summer months is simply flinging money away, for it may bo taken for granted that an ordinary metalled road will maintain itsolf five months out of tho twelve. Let any one ride through tho Forty-Mile Bush or on tho Tinui road durinsr a heavy day's rain, and the chances are that not a single surface man will be on his beat, unless it happens to be coach day when they will show themselves as a matter of course, The mere surfacework on the road, which means the keeping open of water-course, raking in ruts etc., could bo done for half the money it coste now, Wfjro if tjonq by contract all fiWWfj 9»°U US ro-iptajlingl'-'lo bo paid for according to a schedule price at per yard, or by the chain, as tho case may be, so that should finy portion of a road not require metalljng during the term of the contract—usually three yoars-tho only oosfc in that case would bo the surfacing, which, aa I have already stated, would be about half of what it costs by the day work system. Anothor good would result from such a change, namely favoritism would have become impossible,' and we should have a more efficient and lees expensive method of maintaining our public roads. I am, etc,, Telford,