Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-23
PRESENT COLOSSUS OF ROADS,
A Conversation with Col. A. A..
Pope Of Boston.
He Shows How Far America Is Be-
hind France iii Thoroughfares.
The American McAdam aud His Efforts
In Behalf of Good Riding and
Driving - Some Facts
Newly Learned.


the chamber Of commerce recently ant
Messrs. ]. @. Tufts, Mark s. Severance
w. F. King and E. T. Wright were ap
pointed committee to make the mecca
sary arrangements for the lecture o.
Col. A. A. Pope ON Good Roads in the
chamber this afternoon at 2 p. m.
The reporter OF the HERALD who
called at the Ford mansion on Bellevue
avenue last evening to interview Mr.
Pope, had 10 minutes with a very
pleasant and agreeable gentleman
"Well," said he, pleasantly, "what
can I do for you?"
SIT is reported that you are going to
give us lecture on the science OF road.
: building on Friday, Mr.. Pope" said
the reporter"
Mr.. Pope, commenced by saying "this
matter of roads Is one that concerns
the material wealth of every country.
Show me the roads OF country and I
will tell you whether it is inhabited by
an industrious people or not. BY the
way, have you ever been in Eng
land?"
The reporter replied he had not, but
that he had made several visits to Aus
tralia.
"Well, them" continued Mr.. Pope,
you must have q good idea OF what the
roads are like in England, for that
country is settled chiefly by English
men, who insist upon having good roads
under all conditions"
The reporter said he presumed that
was equally true Of all British colonies,
aud kolsaf khof tho Enn1toh
roads were the best in the world.
"There you are clearly wrong" re-
piled Mr.. Pope, "for the roads of France
are just as far ahead of England and
Germany a. they are ahead OF the roads
in the American western states. The
system Of France is most comprehen-
sive one. the state roads being all under
the direction Of an officer whose title /
have forgotten, but who resides in Paris
and directs everything from there. Then
each county, or province, ae they are
called there, is cut up into districts with
county officer at the head of each.
Then each district officer supervises 30
many sections OF road and has man on
every section. The roads being built
properly in the first place, it does not
cost so much to keep them in order.
They are laid with proper iounda-
tions and proper drainage fixtures, in
the first place. Then the superstructure
is comparatively easy matter to keep
in repair. The foundations and culverts
do not wear out, but the surface OF the
road does, OF course. Just little work
at regular intervals suftices to keep this
surface in good shape. The supsrin-
tending officials see that so much ballast
is kept at intervals along each section,
from which it can be regularly distrib.
uted for immediate use."
"Why can we not have as good roads
here as in France?' asked the scribe.
"We can, whenever the masses Of the
people can be educated up to it and
taught that it costs less to keep roads in
good repair than it does to be paying
blacksmith bills and buying new wag
ons. OF course, labor is cheaper there
than here, besides which there is no
such thing as men working out their
road tax. All the taxes are paid in
cash and all the labor is paid the same
way, hence there are none hut the most
industrious people employed on road
work"
"How long are these sections OF road
that you speak OF, Mr.. Pope?"
"They vary entirely according to the
amount of travel that goes over them,"
replied the Bostonian, ''those through
the densely populated districts being
much shorter than in the more sparsely
settled sections.
II hope you will spur up our people
to q realizing sense OF our own bad roads,
Mr.. Pope" said the reporter, tours are
shoekingly bad as compared with the
Atlantic seaboard."
II am not so sure of that said Mr..
Pope. II can take you to certain parts
Of Northern. New York and the adjacent
country where they have far worse roads
than you have here. Still your roads
might be improved perceptibly, and l
hope your people may be some day in
duced to legislate in that direction. So
good night"