Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-10-09
A FoRcIeLE ARGUMENT.

In the course of paper read by Sam
uel R. Downing before the Pennsylvania
State grange he said:
A trait of our business character is
that we will pay Z per cent. for the use
of a pike in tolls, and probably per
cent. in addition for its maintenance,
when we could by simple operation
that child could understand turn this
Z per cent. into our pockets instead of
giving it to others and saying how hard
are the times.
There is not time for me to illustrate
the saving of macadam roads in speed
and draft In all our journeyings to the
railroad station, to mill, to school with
the children, to the town market, to
church and postoffice, there is time and
draft expended during the coolest days
and toughest roads of the year. This,
if you viii demonstrate with your own
pencil, will equal easily two mills ON the
assessed valuation of your township.
And we should remember that these
iourneyings do not end with decade.
II you please, | will recapitulate. A
state appropriation in behalf of better
roads will be moneys paid by railroads,
banks and corporations generally, and
also by owners of bonds, mortgages and
notes. Thus, if Pennsylvania appropri-
ates money for "a road administration and
construction. farm owners can freely
sanction a generous appropriation.
! A six inch macadam means virtually
an eight inch depth road at the lowest
cost of a six inch road, in that it is com
posed of three layers, one Of two to three
inch rubble, and of inch and half
stone, and the surface OF. stone clippings
to the depth of two inches. This bed
being laid upon a convex, dry surface,
and being well packed by using trac-
ton engine and iron wheeled truck for
hauling, viii equal loose. large stoned !
ten inch depth.
As reapers, binders and mowers cost |
at one time double their present prices, |
so when the full economy of road struct- |
IRE is reached when crushers and com /
petition between contractors are in
creased. and the knowledge is acquired |
that less bulk Of stone is needed. the cost |
of macadam win be reduced
There is needed road supervision by \
bonded experts capable of estimating
and enforcing true estimates of costs /
and of determining between the rights
of the people against any unjust claims /
Of contractors Expert supervision is
needed further TO insure the most dura-
bic, comfortable road for the least sum
Of money. The cost of a sl1illful county
engineer would be earned several fold in
the saving of money, comfort and health
TO the people.
Should the state appropriate annually
81 800 600 tthis would yield an award of
800 for a mile in each district per year,
and allow, in addition. sufficient sum
for the support of road bureau, the APP
preparation would be generally accept
ed. the bureau being composed of ex-
perts, and. repeat, our roads would be
honestly built, and for a reasonable
sum and under the safeguard of state
provisions and specifications.
As individuals we are more far sight
ed than as citizens. We viii pay 81 ex-
ira for a rocking chair, or 50 extra for a
lounge, or SEQ extra for sulky, cult
vator or plow rather than walk. As in
dividuals we find economy in self rest,
self comfort, elfluxury, without thought
Of any money profit But as citizens we
cannot always see that raise of tax for
all the year round, permanent roads not
only secures health, comfort, luxury, but
is an investment equal to that Of build
ing association, creating its measure Of
wealth in increased farm values, in its
saving of waste, time and draft. If forty
years ago economics had been part of
our school curriculum we would have
been Weather as a body polite today
No matter how cruel our roads may
be to us, or how they may scandalize us
with the shame of lacking even the least
modicum of business spirit or Christian
endeavor; no matter how they rob us
more than trusts may rob rs, still they
despoil, still they take hours away from
our comfort and add hours Of storms
and singing cold and buffetings to our
lives. While it is perfectly right and
incumbent to aim our censure at com
bines' that bear the price of our prod
ucts even in times of scarcity and de-
mand, it is equally well to reserve a
share of judgment to ourselves in per
hitting self cruelty and self robbery,
through the agency of bad thorough
fares, by failure to fearlessly stand up
and press for a road system based upon
a material that can only transform the
boys of winter, the boys of the coolest,
most stormful portion of all the year,
into feet. smooth, indestructible roads.