316

hope to be able shortly to add a com-
plete system of drainage, with the longi-
tudinal and lateral datum—the former
at every five chains, the latter at every
twenty chains, or as near these distan-
ces as the nature of the country will admi-

With regard to the practicability
of using gravel for road metalling
and where heavy traffic has to be sus-
tained, I beg to signify my strong
disapproval. It must be borne in
mind that it has proved totally un-
suited for the requirements. Had it
been possible to have gravelled the roads
at the early season of the year, so as to
have given them a summer’s consoli-
dation, I think there can be no doubt that
they would have held their condition much
better during the wet season. Without
going into the question of the defects or
merits of gravel, I think it sufficient to
say that wherever used it has signally
failed. Beyond temporary purposes, or
roads of light traffic, I entirely condemn
its use for the future.

It is generally admitted that to make
efficient and durable roads, a large ex-
pense is absolutely necessary, and
that any curtailing of the sums required
proportionately lessens their permanent
usefulness. It has long been proved by
the most eminent engineers that it is
better, in constructing a new road, to
expend more the first year, and place it in per-
fect order, than to spend comparatively
smaller sums, and never have the road in a
satisfactory state. A cheap road, in
the end, is always a dear one, owing to the ne-
cessity for constant maintenance, and proves
most costly after all will never be a
good road. The utilisation of broken metal
such as is found in reference to exten-
sive quarries is the most permanent utility, although the short-
term benefit might be out of sight. As I now
understand the matter:

Immediately the contract is taken off
the hands of the contractors, the main-
tenance is the next thing to be attended
to. The item of road expenditure is, at
least, equally important with the con-
struction. It is desirable that I should
have some estimate of the cost per mile for the
repair of the service; but I have found it
impracticable until I have had sufficient
experience in arriving at the adapta-
tion of those to be used for road purposes.
If the stone turns out good, it may be
found that one man will be sufficient for
the mile; if not good, it may require
two, three, or four, or even more men,
for the same distance. I have examined
the stone at the Mokomoko, from
whence it is probable that the greater
portion of the supply will come, and I
am of opinion that the quality cannot
be objected to. When I say quality, I
mean the quality due to its hardness.
There may be not the only requisite
necessary, the other qualities also should
be considered. With this evidence
to hand, it is most essentially deficient in quality
for excellence for road metal. I have,
up to the present, had but limited
opportunities of judging of the latter
quality of the Mokomoko stone. It has
been laid down in short distances in
two or three places on the Campbell-
town Road; but the traffic over it has
not only been small, but also confined
to light carriages. With this evidence
only before me, I hesitate to give an
opinion. The opportunities for forming
a judgment will shortly be quite sufficient
to arrive at a conclusion. A heavy traffic
will have to be sustained from the railway
contractors’ drays in transit of plant,
conveying supplies, etc.; and if the
metal is found to bear this without any
serious deterioration, I think it may safely
be pronounced as capable of meeting all
requirements.

The necessity cannot be too strongly
urged for keeping an adequate number
of efficient men spread over the roads.
This once neglected, and holes will be in a
very short time formed to such magnitude
as to require a large outlay, and at the
same time these patched parts will be in
inferior keeping with the rest of the road
for some months.

The extended carriageway to be are-
marked as soon as practicable for 16 feet
width of metalling, and should be extended
including a space of 18 inches on either
side for channels. My reason for this
is that the traffic necessarily
will constantly turn off the metalled line
to deliver or take away goods to or from
the stores, and every such turning off
causes a loosening in the surface of the
wearing formation. To minimise this dis-
placement of the metal, the alternative process
will not be confined to one or two places,
but will follow throughout the area
wherever the stores may be built. Under
these circumstances, I recommend that
the whole face of the street be properly
pitched and metalled.

On every road the carriageway on which
will be heaviest described, I have ap-