Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-30
FOR BETTER ROADS.
The Committee Appointed by the En-
gineerS' Society Sends a Final
Report to Harrisburg.
FULL REVIEW OF FARMERS NEEDS.
Good Roads Mean Larger Sales and More
Remunerative Prices for All
Products of the Soil.
THE FIGURES THAT TELL THE STORY.
rcirts Of the Proposed Law Which the ccmntss Wants
Enacted.
FULL REVIEW OF FAkMERS' NEEDS.
THE FIGURES THAT TELL THE STORY.
rorts Of the Proposed Law Which the Committee Wants
Enacted

transmitted to Harrisburg the final report of
tine Committee on Roads of the Engineers
Society of Western Pennsylvania, together
with the draft of proposed road act.
The committee consists of Thomas ?. Rob-
erts. Charles Davis, Alexander Dempster
and Thomas II. johnson. The report is
comprehensive in character, while the draft
Of the proposed law, which is substantially
ihe same as heretofore presented to the soci
ETY., has been revised and amended in minor
particulars, but without changing the gen.
eral scheme. The committee has been more
anxious TO awaken public opinion than to
enter upon discussion of the scientific
principles of road-making.
The committee SAYS that there is pecul
lar proprletv, therefore, in engineers discuss
ing the road problem, there can be no doubt.
OF one thing we are sure, viz: That ii en-
-iEeers had been called upon to lay out,
construct and supervise the maintenance of
roads in the Eastern States, during the last
80 years, d vastly different picture would be
found IRON what appears to-day.
Counties at a Standstir
Many Of the counties of Pennsylvania
q
in population and value OF natural products
are concerned. The tide of immigration
from Europe passes increasingly through
the territory without stopping; although
The proportion of unbrokeu or forest land in
Pennsylvania is still very large. BY the
census ot 1880 ID is shown that in Peunsvl-
Taoia :he percentage of forest to total area
was 2i5 OF the remaining 76 per cent
nearly One-halt is non-cultivated or waste
land. Ia New York the per cent of forest
TO total area was 26.2; in Maryland, 81,
and in New Jersey as much as 4S.S.
1t is therefore fact that these States,
which embrace the chief commercial and
manufacturing cities of the Union, and the
GeDsest population, considering their co N
bined area, have d greater proportion of un-
broken ground than other regions of the
same size in the more sparsely populated
regions Of the West.
Plenty of Room for Settlers.
Here then there is room for MANY thou
sands Of settlers. The farming lands of these
States are only valuable on the narrow strips
bounded by few miles width, through when
the railroads pass
The hue and cry has gone forth that Penn
sylvanla farmers cannot compete with the
wheat raisers Of Minnesota and Dakota. be
cause Of some mysterious evil that the RAN
Loads nave done them. There are. no doubt,
raiiway administration. but sifted down most
OF the troubles which afiict the Pennsylvania
a-rCulturISJ originate in their inefficient
means Of reaching the markets
o the ialnIer The market simply means the
neaIest railway station. II he 6e located ten
niles Instant from the railway the character of
often dazy l,b
with team of horses TO transport 500 or 700
pounds OF produce to the station. 1t never &C.
eurs 10 those who lay and construct these roads
"Att q loss Ills eAtravagant use of horse power
Involves Lana At the railroad may be worth
SlOv per acre, Mille The same Kind of soil, ten
miles distant may not be worth more than one
ihlTQ lh&t Of such amount.
II ne could traverse tine ten miles in less
time, duu with three times the load. the farmer
co&Io market ms produce with one third the
4 LtA'teI OF tlpS, ana the lime anu expenditure
81 power lost on the road would go TO the bet
icinelit OF his farm. He would live better
EaNc more comforts, and be able to have better
schools ior tie education u his children.
'''s"uu roads mean another thing to the
it'u.rr-au improved breed of horses. II the
ia=iHrr sons have good horses. and good roads
10 exercise them on, they will form an attach
IlruJ Tor the country which no allurement for
-Ae city can detract from. As 1t is, however
tue tanners sons grow restless with the pIod-
ding WAYS OF their fathers and seek oppor-
tunlJy 10 cnlg5ate.
The salient points of the law which your
committee would like to see enacted. should
provide tor the following being DONE in con-
nectIOn with the roads:
.FIrsi-As to their location. 1t is too often
the case that great detours are made by the
township roads to avoid cutting the farm of
some influential citizen in two. II is regarded
as terrible afficton by them to have to open
Two gales TO reach a field with a moving
ulcbile. where one would do. The property
u is also claimed, will not divide mp so well
when The farmer IS dead. For these and similar
reasons all the other farmers and the travelling
pLuilJ must forever pay tax in the form of
lost time aud wasted horsepower for every load
hauled around his premises. There are many
thousands OI these toll gates the $1,000
miles OF roads in this STATE. The very farmer
who maintains one such taxing station on his
property aad thiukS he has gained point
loses, IN gong to market, more than he has
gained. by paying similar tolls 10 others equally
favored.
~Our roads are susceptible of great improve
meat m theIr location. Instead OF 80, 900 miles
there might be several thousand miles less.
I hat Is to >ay. the kinks and bends which could
be removed from them would reduce their
leuEth by some such tgure. with correspond
M reduction IN The annual cost OF maintenance
and IN the number of miles annually travelled
10y vehicles Ot all kinds.
The Evils of steep Grades.
Bat besides the horizontal kinks and bends
here referred TO- there are hills OF vertical
bends, Ia be eliminated in the proper location
OF the roads. Farmers do not appear to regard
s!cep grades on their roads as a very serious
evil il they could see inside of their horses
stoIuaChs. or feel the animals heart beat on a n
uu grade. something IN the manner of the loco
mOJye engineer looking into the tirebox of his
engine. they would learn that the two machines
are identically alike in consuming more ma
IcCisl on an up grade than on a Level. a pound
Of coal has a known and fixed value i'm
eyaporating water in the creation of steam
Low grades means a saving of steam and
hence economy in the use OF coal. So also In
uf hay /, capable of developing a number of
leat units, which may be displayed in energy
]. G.. power. In fact horse is 4 far more per-
fccJ machine than any engine which can piss-
bly, be constructed. but while more perfect is
much more liable to injury when overtaXed.
The second point to which legislative atten-
ton i requested. is The cOnstru ctlun OF the
roLds. Il should be the aim OF the law to en-
courage the construction of wel-drained. mac
adamized, or graveled roads. On this point it
j. scarcely worth while to discuss the engineer
lnE points involved. They are, tor the main
part. simple enough, though no one plan NAV
be 'pphcdOle 10 ali portions of the ) ate. When
We speak ol macadamiZiug the roads, we do not
urge The construction of too many at one time.
Certain main roads, however, we believe should
be Ge>lG1ated Tor Improvement first and the
worst parts OF these TO be undertaken first"
Influence on the Markets.
The committee then speaks of the classifca-
tion OF roads, and SAYS:
There can be no doubt thai IL the roads frou
the country were always passable the supply
Of butter and eggs to meet the demand of our
cities and towns would come altogether from
the districts adjoining the local markets Hay
J. often worth 60 and sc ton more IN the Pitts
burg market than it is on farms within eirht
and ten miles distance, owing altopetber to the
fact Of the bad roads, which are thus rpsnonsi.
ble Tor entallng double loss-a loss to the city