The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-05
COMMON ROADS OF EUROPE.
Splendid Highways Everywhere-Mu
Superseded by Macadam.

Splendid Highways Everywhere-Mud
Superseded by Macadam.
Isaac B. Potter in Engineering Magazine.
In 1919 while the question of improved
roads was occupying the attention of par
lament about in the same manner that it
attracts the attention of the legislative
bodies of the United States today, Telford
appeared before the parliamentary COM
mittee on roads and highways and gave
graphic testimony of the condition of the
British roads of that period. The interest
then awakened grew from year to year till
1885, when parliament passed the general
highway act, and from that date began the
systematic and intelligent management to
which the superior quality OF the English
roads is now principally due.
But England is by no means alone In
her possession of good roads. The Roman
legacy has in late years multiplied it's
value, and in nearly all the countries of
Europe systems of high class roads are
maintained. In Ireland they add not
little to the delights of the
are everywhere found by the
tourist and traveller who visits that beauti-
full country. In France you may drive
from Paris to Orleans, to Bourges, to
Nevers, and across the Jura mountains in
to Switzerland. You may journey through
Switzerland, beholding all her maryels of
scenery, and you may. continue
Rhine and its valley of legends
till you reach the shoals of the
North sea. You vary this journey in
whatever way your inclination NAV urge;
you may travel the roads of Scotland, TIA
ly, Austria, Belgium, Baden. Spain or
Scandinavia. and you will everywhere find
that the public hand has been Industrious
ly directed to the care and keeping of the
common roads. Each of these countries
has established, within its civil gov
eminent department. having
exclusive control of the more
important highways, and in most cases
also a supervisory management of the par
ish and branch roads which connect the
smaller towns and serve as feeders TO the
many lines. Varying, of course, IN some
degree as to details of management, there is
still practical unanimity among the great
nations OF Europe in this policy of govern
mental control. 1t began with the popu-
lar recognition of two facts: First, that
the public road. like the public postotfice
and the courthouse, is public property, es-
tablished by law for the use of all people;
and, second, that the extravagant waste of
time, labor and property which had been
for centuries imposed by the use of mud
roads could only be checked, and the true
resources of the country brought out, by
roads under an intelligent head. This was
the doctrine of Tresagnet and of his Eng
lish disciples, Telford and Macadam, and
events have verified it. An exhaustive
examination by the writer of reports and
statistics collected in twenty-three separ-
ate European states, shows that in each
case the quality and condition of the pub
lie roads are raised or lowered in about the
same measure that the general govern
ment bestows or withholds its official di-
rection. Witness the splendid results in
France. From the work of the Romans,
Tresagnet learned that the road was
structure; that it should have founda-
ton: and, adding to that the light of later
knowledge, he built hundreds of miles of
better roads than the Romans ever knew.
The spirit of this reform took hold
upon the government, and today
France has about 10000 miles
of ''macadamized" roads,, Thousands of
skilled men are everywhere employed, each
on his separate section of the road, and all
are under the constant surveillance of the
official inspectors, by whom they are held
to strictest account for the work in their
charge. No department of government
could be better equipped, and no govern
ment coald be more closely in touch with
the details of public work than is the re-
public OF France with the care of her COM
mon roads. System prevails everywhere.
The result is that the roads of France are
probably the most perfect in the world.