Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-06-10
Roads in France.


The excellence Of the French roads is
veil known. Tho nited States consul at
PnrdeAux describes how they are made.
rhe material Is brought from the nearest
quarries and placed at either side of the
route surveyed In order that the full
amount contracted for may be delivered,
the stone must be heapcd in angular piles
Of prismatic shape and fixed dimensions.
These helps, placed at given distance
from one another are afterwards visited by
an official Inspector aud must in all in
stances fit exactly beneath a skeleton
frame carried by him. The material is
usually marble, flint, stone, or gravel, and
whatever is used must be the best quality
and cleansed from all foreign substances.
The stone must he broken so that each
piece may pass through a ring - inches in
diameter Ii is then spread evenly over
the road. the interstiees being carefully
filled in with smaller pieces, so that the
whole Is smooth aud free from abrupt
eminences and depressiOns. \ steam roll
or then crushes and further ovens the
whole, after which a superficial layer OF
clay and earth completes thework. Roads
are classed rs national roads. which are
the main arteries of the system connecting
most distant parts ofthe country, and are
constructed and maintained by the govern
ment: roads. which connect different points
Of the same department or of two adjoining
departments. and are constructed and main
tained by the department: highways and
public roads. which are the property OF the
commune through which they run, but are
in practice made and repaired by the de-
partment from taxes levied on the com
mune, supplemented by a department
subsidy: cross roads, which are maintained
bv sums derived from the ordinary revenues
,Ft llrr aurnI
by additional taxation; and country roads.
which are kept in order by the commune,
except they are injured by unusual traffic,
when an indemnity may be claimed by the
communal administration. For the pur-
pose Of maintaining the common roads the
inhabitants living in the district are obliged
to work three days in each year or pay an
amount equivalent to the compensation OF
laborer for three days. Thei consul
at Havre says that French payements
increase in excellence with age. In
France. he says, all roads have perpetual
attention. ii from weight, rain or other
causes, q hollow, rut or sink is formed, IT
is repaired at once. Where the space to
be repaired is of limited area, the rolling
of the new coating is left to the wide tires
OF the heavy carts, but in the case OF
extended areas steam roller Is brought
into use. Every carrying and market cart
in France is a road maker instead of rut
maker, for it has tires usually from inches
to inches in width.
THE country under the new TariiI law
goes on record for the twelve months end
ing April 80 last as having exported over a
billion dollars worth of American pro
ducts. Imports for the same twelve months
amounted to 1892, 09S, 7s5, of which nearly
80 per cent came in duty fee. The balance
Of trade in favor of the United States in
the same period was sl79, ,40G, 5l4 There
are no arguments that can eontroyert the
prosperity displayed by these figures of
national operations in trade and commerce
| under the Mckinley law.