The record-union., 1892-05-25
SHALL WE HAVE ROAD AGTTA-
TION?

Chauncey B. Ripley, LII. D., recently
addressed the State Road Convention of
New Jersey on the subject of Improved
Roads," All he said was in line directly
with recent comments in these columns
upon the value to market center like
Sacramento, of good country roads lead
ing to it. We are convinced that inn
proved roads in this county are needs,
not only to the country, but especially to
this city, and that there is neglect of
most uneconomic character in the failure
TO begin the work of reform concerning
our highways.
Not only in the loss Of trade to the city,
but in the loss Of time to the farmers, in
the wear and tear of wagons, and the ILL
use Of horses, all which represents dol
lars and cents of waste to the producer,
is there poor economy in ill-kept roads.
AS rule, the county roads of Sacra-
mento have good basis for substructures,
butin very few is there any provided. In
few cases also is there proper surfacing.
Even where there has been good gravel
ing, there have been left the large round
stones that never break up, and that serve
only to impede vehicles and to grind out
pot-holes that become ruts. These are
the next season filed in with more gravel.
and more round stones are left on top,
and SO the expense goes on continuously.
True economy dictates the construction
of good substructure, of which there are
many forms, and such surface finish as
will require the very least of repairing.
Such roads, costing more in the outset.
by their greater wearing capacity are the
cheapest in the end.
In no State has so much been done in
country road Improvement as in New
Jersey. 1t has been a pioneer in the
reform and still it is agitating the sub
ject. Her recent Act 18S9) for encour-
agement of road building is pronounced
the best road law of the Union and to
have greatly stimulated, permanently,
land values in that State. For land is
valuable not more for its productive
capacity than for its easy relation to
market centers. A farm is worth largely
more that has a good. rapid, economic
road leading to market town, or to a
shipping point, than one which is walled
in by roads that for q considerable sea-
son are passable only with difficulty and
the expenditure Of much time and
motive power. The New Jersey people
have appreciated these truths and have
made country road improvement chief
labor, and with eminent success.
We cannot with our immense distances
and great area expect for many years to
have road Improvement as New Jersey
enjoys it, but we can do great deal. We
can break the ice of neglect and enter
upon work that the sooner begun the
better. For instance we can consider the
question of width of tires and the rela-
tive lengths of forward and hind axles,
with a view to making road wagons
road rollers. In New Jersey they have
found that the broad tire and the differing
axle widths greatly aid the preservation
and rolling of road once well surfaced.
We can have road conventions as they
have in New Jersey and other States, and
thus thoroughly inform the people upon
the merits and dement's of variously
made roads, and discover whether by
repairs of our present district road sys-
tenn we are not wasting money enough in
few years, TO construct first-class
economic roads. We may, with profit,
study the recently-issued Consular re-
port upon country road construction in
all foreign lands. We can in each county
secure the construction of short stretches
Of improved roads to serve as object les
sons and to illustrate the value of various
methods. In short, by convention, con-
sultation, road societies, the study of the
experience of New Jersey, Ohio, Penn
sylvania and New York, we in Cali
fornia can begin the agitation of road
improvement with infinite benefit:
The political wise men of New York
say that in that State poor roads were
ASSPOLSAbAO 4O4 hSSpIuS -p,utU voters from
the polls at the last election. The Cen,a1y
Magazine estimates the loss TO the farmer
of the United States to be s., ,O00. 600 a
week because of bad roads. The New
York Times recently said upon this sub
ject, referring to the volume of Consular
reports on country roads issued by the
State Department at Washington:
One OF the most important statements made
in the report in question is the marked in
crease in The value OF agricultural land situ-
ated on the improved roads. 1t is estimated
that farm property thus benefited increases in
value from d TO 10 per cent, which is surely
gufhcient commendation 10 establish the ne
cessity for cooperation ia the movement that
has bSen started in New Jersey. One fre-
quently hears il said that history furnishes no
instance OF the rapid recovery OF a country
from disturbance as rapid and complete as
that of France, and the recovery N this in
stance is said 10 be due directly 10 the condi-
tisn of the roads, which are in such a high
state OF improvement as to place nearly all
agricultural classes within reach of the mark
ets thus facilitating the transportation of
farm produce and lessenlng the cost OF il
New Jersey began her road agitation
anon the bass that good g-9a6S 3g1g J5T