Notes of the Day

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3526, 30 December 1913, Page 4

Notes of the Day

THE ETERNAL PROBLEM OF BAD

ROADS

There is much that is of great interest to local bodies in the report which a Sydney engineer, Mr Leplastrier has submitted with reference to the roads congresses that lie lately attended at Denver and in London. What is wrong in the Colonies, he says, is that- in too many instances roads are made in a rough and ready way, and often with wrong material, and. further, that an erroneous idea seems to prevail that anybody can make a road. In the older countries only highly skilled men are being employed nowadays in this class oi work, and the authorities are thoroughly convinced that it pays to make roads properly. He also remarks, inter alia : “In America and England most of the road-making was carried out by machinery. For country roads the old macadamised surface was still the best, provided it was scientifieially laid and properly maintained. He had seen in America some solid concrete roads that had been laid down as an experiment, but it was too early to say whether they would be a success or not, though he saw no reason why they should not be, provided the drainage problem was solved. For city streets the day of the wood block seemed to be over. Trinidad agphalt macadam had been largely adopted in America. The modern sheet asphalt pavement had withstood all of the tests to which time, traffic, use and public opinion had subjected it and two splendid characteristics it possessed were its cleanliness and noiselessne.ss. Around Detroit, where asphalt pavements were principally used the roads were as smooth as billiard’ tables. The time would come when all the main streets m the Colonial towns would be paved with asphalt. The public wanted better roads, and thev would have to pay.’

the late cardinal ram poll a

The developments which have arisen in connection with the affairs of Cardinal Rampolla promise to be particularly interesting. Hitherto the late Cardinal had. it i.s Well-known, been regarded as the likely successor to His Holiness Pope Pius X., who is now in his 79th year. In this regard it may be mentioned that as Secretary of State to Leo XIII. he contributed in no small degree to the success of his reign. At the Inst concluve C&rdinial Rampolla received no fewer than 62 votes, which it is understood was an ample sufficiency to have secured for him the tiara had it not been for the opposition of Germany, which, having no veto of its own, induced Austria to make use of hers. Cardinal Rampolla was without exception the most notable figure of the Sacred College. Scion of one of the oldest and most illustrious houses of the Sicilian nobility, and Marquis del Tindaro in his own right, he was one of the few Italian members of the senate °f . the church who was of patrician birth. Since the election of Pius X. he had been living very quietly in the Palace of St. Martha. He remained: absolutely aloof from all discussion and interference with the foreign relations of the Holy See, and restricted his activity exclusively to those congregations, as the various departments oi the pontifical administration are styled, of which he was either president or vice-president. These departments deal with matters of doctrine, dogma and ritual. Although ascetic and austere as regards his own inode of {lie, •allowing himself no pleasures, drinkJjiiT no wine, and altogether indiffeient to"the pleasures of the table, he was a man of great magnetism and charm, whose rare words were uttered with a voice that was particularly soft and pleasing. When Secretary of State to Leo XIII. he used to be known on account of bis reticence, by the strange vet eloquent title of “The Grand Silencer ” which in olden times was used to designate the Secretary of State oi the Byzantine emperors.