The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-14

Chicago Times.
Every year the attention of the public is
called to the miserable condition of the roads.
The papers discuss the matter at great length
State and county conventions are called in the in
terest OF good roads. At these gatherings reso-
lutions are passed. and much legislation recon-
mended. The proprietors of tile factories, the
owners Of deposits of gravel, and the patentees
of road making machinery all present their plans
for making and keeping up good roads.
appeals to the public would in
sure good roads, the facilities
for travel would be most excellent in all parts
Of the West. All these agencies. however, ap-
pear to exert very little influence on the condi-
ton OF the public thoroughfares. Most of the
plans suggested for making roads in the country
are too costly to be put in practice. They re-
quire the expenditure of sum of money that
cannot be raised by farmers many of whom are
heavily in debt, and nearly all of whom are de-
sirous Of improving their places erecting new
buildings buying new stock, and purchasing inn
plements necessary to work the soil and harvest
crops. A tax that would put all the roads in a
new country In good condition would result in
the ruin of most of the farmers
Roads are poor in most parts of the West not
because little money is raised to improve them,
but because it is injudiciously expended. Much
labor is spent on roads to very poor advantage.
The men who know how to make good bridges
and culverts for earth roads, or to grade the
roads, are somewhat scarce in every county, and
they are seldom selected to superintend these
operations. A man is generally chosen commits
sioner of highways or district road survey or,
because he is member in good standing in some
political party, or is known as clever fellow"
He would not be employed to make plans for a
man who wished to construct private roads or to
superintend workmen engaged in making them.
He is generally free to acknowledge that he does
not understand the art of planning and construct
ing roads, bridges and culverts that he has given
very little attention to these matters. and that
he has no taste for them 1t is likely that there
are men in this country who understand
the construction of railroads than Of common
earth roads. There are ten books on the subject
of railroad construction to one on the making of
dirt roads.
When the directors of great corporation
wish to construct railroad they employ COM
petent engineer to plan and direct all the work.
He, with the aid Of suitable assistants and
special experts, prepares plans and specifications
and let's the work to contractors. The road is
kept in suitable repair by the direction of
trained experts. These roads are constructed
and kept in good condition by the expenditure
Of the smallest amount of money posi- BILE under
the circumstances The road beds, tracks,
bridges and culverts are constantly watched and
are repaired as soon as they get out of good
condition in any way 1t is not likely that we
shall ever have good wagon roads till they are
built and kept in repair in the same manner that
railroads are Men must be educated and
trained for the work of constructing and repair
ing earth roads, and the bridges and culyerts
that must be built in connection with them In
order to prepare them for this important sery-
ice, they must have suitable text books to study
must be employed in the capacity of experts by
county and town officials in the same manner
that engineers are secured by the directors Of
railroad companies.