Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-15

farther provide, First-That each township
shall constitute road distric
in each of which an overseer is to be ap
pointed to hold Office for one or more years
who shall give bonds for $500 for the fulfill
ment of his duty, which is forfeitable to tht
township to be used on road constructing
As a compensation for his labor he shal
receive So per day for all time actually
spent in work Second-The duties of tht
oyerseer shall be to open new roads, keeI
them in such repair as the County Engineer
may think necessary and make all improve
ments which may be required. Three
Each township shall be further required to
erect guide boards at every cross roads and
keen them in good repair, Fourth-Ths
overseer shall beside make estimates and re-
ceive bids for all important improvements
to be made and shall grant the work to the
lowest bidder. Fifth-He shall receive and
disburse all money coming into his posses
| sion and turn over an account of the same
| to his successor.
TOWNSHIP AUTHORITY,
Sixtb-The Township Board shall pur-
chase all tools and implements necessary for
building and maintaining the road. Sew
enth-The Township Board shall have
power 10 levy n percentum tax on all prop
erty in the township, which taxes are col
lectible by the Treasurer, and are 10 be kept
separately as highway funds, TO be used for
this purpose. Ii may be also enacted that
taxes may be worked out when II can be
done adyantageously, but the bulk OF taxes
must be paid In cash. When the board
has determined upon tax rate 10 be levied
for permanent improvements, the proceeds
of the tax may be anticipated and township
bonds be issued, bearing not more than 0
per cent interest, 10 the amount OF not more
than one-hAlf what the tax will yield In five
wears, Tho amount realized In this way
may be nj once expended In improvements.
Ninth-The overaeer shall have power 10
comprl nl toll companies which may exist
90 maintain their ronds In specified oondi-
tion or forfeit their oharteri 10 examine their
books and exercise supervision over all
their acts
These are the essential features OF the law
proposed by the League Of American
Wheslmen nj their recent meeting and
which they decided 10 have presented to the
various Slate Legislatures aud make an 40.
tive canvass for It's enactment,
The Society OF Engineers OF Western
PennsylyaniA have likewise taken O stand
which argues much for their progressive
ness, while the active crusade Of The DIS.
FAToH has done great deal 10 expose the
wretehed condition OF our highways and
arouse the people 10 the necessity OF some
action,
Such are the main features which should
be included In the act, although many other
details Of administration may perhaps be
added.
Having determined these matters OF ad-
ministration, 1t may be well to consider the
best method OF road construction rs we'll as
how the additional expense may be easiest
borne by the counties.
COUNTY FISANCEERING.
As this is the field Of the engineer il will
not be possible TO 60 into the many details
of road construction, but rather TO state
those systems which have been advantage
ously tried in other sections.
If free roads are contemplated, and they
are for reasons enumerated by far the most
desirable, the county should proceed to sell
bonds to the amount required to construct
the roads. Such bonds can usually be dis
posed of at par and Ii they be long time
bonds, doubtless no more than to per
cent interest need be paid. The debt thus
incurred must be liquidated by means of
taxation. In case 8 per cent is the rate Of
interest paid on the bonds, by creating q
sinking fund Of per cent at compound
interest, the entire principal may be paid
off IN about 35 years and the county will
have enjoyed the benefit of the reads in the
meantime. The county will thus pay but
per cent on the capital invested, which
would incur but slight increase in taxation.
By our present wasteful system we are
paying q heavy road tax without receiving
in return any improvements in our high
ways. Doubtless in 35 years more than
enough will be paid in taxes to construct
good macadamized roads, and at the end OF
that time the roads will be in no better con-
dition than at the present time.
Il IL. +. Al. \
iectionable feature of the plan, as many
counties are already heavily burdened. The
State, however, might here interpose and
lend its aid. Instead of the State construct
ing the roads itself, which for many reasons
is Objectionable, it might lend to the differ
ent counties the surplus accum ulated in the
State Treasury, which 1t now loans to the
favorite banks at the low interest rate OF 2
per cent.
ADVANTAGES OF THE PLAN.
The people would thus reap some benefit
from the surplus taken from their pockets TO
enrich the selected few. There could be no
constitutional objection 10 such o disposi.
tion OF these funds, and there IL no way in
which they could be utilized 10 better ad-
vantage.
Il would be very desirable II every county
could construct maoadamEed roads and that
Of course should he the ultmstum. A short
desert ption oil this construction and esti.
mated cost may not be unintefostihg. These
roads were first introduced into England by
Mr., MeAdani. where they found great
favor. They have likewise Of late years
been much used In this country In small
cities. To make them IL very simple when
once understood. Every good road built
upon this system requires two component
parts, One-the foundation consists OF
large stones or eobble stones As they are
commonly called, which must be perfectly
solid aud porous. The other, the upper
layer IL 10 be Of light stones, easily oompac-
tlbe into solid form by the addition OF the
top coating ol dirt or sand. The smaller
stones are broken by machine or hand and
must be small enough to pass through ring
from ! u 10 ~ inches In diameter. In
Germany IL has been found that river gravel
may be utilized instead, forming almost M
good top dressing ~ broken stone, which
In Western Pennsylvania would entail
great saving. These constituent parts are
bound together by the addition OF sand and
afterward rolled with O steam roller.
COST OF MAoApAM.
Roadbeds should never be less than -
and seldom less than 10 feet In width. The
cost OF such a road varies, of course, with
the character Of the road country, grades
and difficulty of obtaining the necessary ma
terial. In Western Pennsylvania, where
stone of the right kind is easily obtainable,
the cost need not exceed 81, 500 per mile,
which is the usual estimate.
In Kentucky the roads were only
where the hilly character of
the country rendered any other kind of road
hard to maintain In other places gravel
roads were constructed, which have been