The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-08-12 00:00:00

TH
IMPROVEMENT OF ENGLISH ROADS
URGED, DURING TIM RXIFFING DEARTH OF
ZSIPLOYMINT FOR THE POOR.

-..m....
[A Pamphlet, by W. Winans ]

The title of this work indicates at once the au-
thor's opinion of our public roads, and the indirect
advantage which It thinks it possible to derive
from altering their condition, vie. thE employ-
ment of the poor. We are not prepared to dispute
his averments, though some of them seem to be
little questiossoble. Certvsuly, if any eournervail.
ing advantages were to lie sought for the oppres-
sive evils with which the monopolies of our money
system afflict the inferior classes, the general di-
rectness unit safety of public roods, and the secu-
rities and couvenience of travelling upon them in
Great Blitain, would be considered by most people
as among those 'drainages. 'Superabundant ca-
pital, by whatever means extracted from the
holders, or by whatever process wrung originally
from the produce of labour, hits so far atoned,
like the charity of the religious ages, for the
mischief which accompanied its own existence.—
Jt has done that generally for the roads which the
mists and rains do for the meadows; it has ex-
hausted itself to a certain degree insbeneficial
wasiefulnerv, and, unlike power in general, become
a blessing from the very act of dissolution. Mr.
Wickens, however, questions both the excellence,
or, as we miderstind him, the improvements of
public roads. And whereas most people have
supposed that our roads, taking into the account
the necessities of winding imposed by the surface
of the country, are almost as straight as the
direct meridians which they represent, he de-
clares that with the exception of the primary roads
which intersect the kingdom, that all the others are
capable of great abridgment. The direct silvan.
loges he proposes (ruin straightening them, besides
saving of time in travelling, are the saving of soil
(4 circumstance, he observes, of no mean import-
ance, considering the new doctrines respecting po-
pulation and the means of subsistence) ; an easier,
mid therefore cheaper way of communication, by
*lnch fish, coals, and manure, maybe snore equal-
ly dist ributed ; the saving of horses (which at pre-
sent averages, in stage coach labour, not more than
three )ears, upon some roads not more than two
years of existence); the general improvement of
internal commerce; the saving of expense in main-
tai tt tt g the roads, &c.

For these purposes he insists on the necessity of
lowering the hilly roads, and at the same time, and
by the ►ame means, filling up the contiguous hol-
low.. lie adds ■ remark on the unaccountable
folly which his almost always led to the neglect of
the latter operation, even in cases where the lower-
ing of hills has been carried into effect. He next
recommends improvement in the material—lime-
stone end flint are to be used instead of pebbles,
clay, and gravel. Where flout is already used, he
complaint of its being left in round masses, so as
to be incapable of settling into firm uniou with the
other materials; it should be broken, an that ha
flat sides might form a more solid compact with
them. He proposes to adopt a wider and more
uniform breadth for roads, by enforcing the dor.
waist provisions of the statutes :
" By onr written laws it is provided, that every public
horse or drift way, sboald be eight feet wide at the least ;
every public cart way leading to say market town, at least
twenty; and every turapike road, sixty feet wide. Nor are
trees or hedges to be suffered to crow within a given
lance by our road sides, or beyond • certain height. It
would probably be found beneficial to probibit every de-
scription of fence by • road side, bet ditches of a moderate
depth, or at (rust snob fences; by whirl he drainage of
our roads would be scented, as watt as their yea:nation"
Considering the rapid consumption and decrease
of fuel in a country thickly peopled, the latter re-
commendation may not be so politic. The author
then very reasonably complaius of the excessive cest