The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-27
OUR ROAD LAWS.
Engineer Mcintyre Thinks They Reject
on the Peoples Intelligence.

10 THE EDITOR: The present road laws OF the
state OF Washington are q reflection upon the
intelligence OF the people Ii would be better
II they were all wiped of the statute books.
ANY attempt to amend them is only making bad
worse, because the plan is wrong-sne basis Is At
fault Our system OF county roads and all our
laws upon the subject are much behind the
eye OF progress wo live in as the old OK cart Is
behind the electric car of { day. We have made
great progress in fifty years in everything ex-
cept public roads. The farmer plois along
through the mut just as he did 100 or 30 years
ago; but within the last year the people OF the
United states have risen in rebellion against
our present road system. Anational road or
gaa cation has teen effected; the legislatures OF
the most progressive states are oevoting much
time TO road laws: the engineers have taken up
the study of road agineering, aad a new era IS
oawuing. The legis azure OF this state Is in ses-
sion. and il they would devote their entire time
To road legislation and give US an improved law,
their time would be well spent In iact the
people Will hold this legislature 70 account
upon this point. The cities of the state are Ill
overgrown, and the growth OF the country is re-
tarded. dwarted and held back for the lack OF an
adequate improved road law. The people
Will build the roads If the legislature
Will do two things: Give US way 10
raise money 10 build roads and provide for en-
gneegs 10 bring in improved plans for building
them. To complain of our present laws AMI OF
our lack OF engineering skill is easy, but TO offer
remedy is a much more difficult task. The
writer. who has devoted much time to the study
OF road laws and road eng neering, is aware that
no perfect plan can be e ven the people at Gin.
gle session OF the legislature but il Is expected
that We shall at the present sessi n be given a
broad, comprehensive law on which TO build
hereafter q great system of public road, ade-
quate to the needs Of one OF the greatest states.
in resources, in the Union and one OF The great
est people which has appeared in the last
quarter OF the nineteenth century.
In the preparation of such an important bill
as this q commission of i've should De appointed
by the governor legislature, two OF whom
should be civil engineers. to draft bill This
commission should ask the people throughout
the state for suggestions, and out of this should
grow bill 10 be presented TO the legislature
There are a few general principles that must
be Kept in mind in the preparation OF any
broad, comprehensive bill. The county COM
missioners of the respective counties should be
empowered upon petition OF majority OF the
people in q given locality to lay off road dis
t.icts. Each road district should De empowered
to organize by the election OF president, CLERK
and treasurer. After proper organization has
been effectei they should have the power to call
an election of the people to vote upon whether
they will issue bonds The system OF roads
should be Planned. surveys made, specifications
aud maps drawn by Il competent engineer be ore
election is held, and they houl1 be accessi
bic to the voters until after election day.
The road bonds should be III rty-year par
cent bonds, must not De sold for less than par,
and a sinkinb fund ought to be provided after
fifteen years. 1t should be as easy 20 form q
road district, issue bonds sell them and build
road to form a school district, issue bonds,
sell them aud build district school house. In
TACT, the road district should BE- modelled after
the school and the irrigation district law. These
district laws are the greatest achievement OF q
free people, and until our road laws are placed
upon this broad sim ple, comprehensive plan, it
will be impossible for our people 10 advance
much in respect to our road system. After
way has been adopted to raise money, the next
question is, what kind of roads shall We build
and how shall we build themr There 10 no
question so little understood: few engineers
have given it any serious study and legislatures
have not progressed perceptibly In the last
thirty years New Jersey, New Hampshire and
Pennsylvania have developed the best ideas so
far, but neither their laws nor their engineering
plans would meet the needs of Western Wash
ington.
Provision should be male by the legislature
for a state engineer OF roads. selected by the
governor for his specis! knowledge of road en-
ginee1ng His duty shou be to furnish plans
for roads to the districts and settle upon a sys-
tenn OF road engineering and construction. All
road surveys by the districts should be submit
ted to him for approval or rejection, and he
suoul1 Ai,iouS tuS petpic tuS IIOst NJ
vanced ideas upon road engineering and con-
structioa. He should be one of a board Of three
engineers appo nted by the governor to examine
each county engineer, the county engineers 10
be named by the board OF county commission
ers. as to their knowledge OF road engineering,
ami when a candidate cannot pass the commits
sioners should seLd in new one. The roads
should be oil surveyed the same as our railroads:
after the curves have been run, the grade estab-
lished, the road cross-seetioned and the esti-
mate in yards made by the county engineer, the
damages should be set by y board Of viewers the
same as In the of rairoads or other high
ways, but the viewers should never have the
power to select the route, because the average
road viewer does not know as much about road
engineering he may about damages. The
next question which will arise Is not one for
the legislature 10 decide, viz: What kind OF
roads shall We build? This must be left to the
Inte ligenee, taste or ingenuity OF the people OF
the respective road districts and their engi-
neers Tha most int ligent. advance Districts
will have the best roads-whtle some Will vote
sgains, having any at ali, content to plod
along like their ancestors in the mud,
or where he cannot get his products II he
has any 10 market let them rot and GO to Dig
ging clans like the festive siwash. The best
system of roads for the country west of the Cas-
cades, and in many sections east, Is the "steel
track" system The gauge OF track should be
that OF a narrow track wagon The rail- Is sim
liar to q street car rail and the wagons or cars
follow the rails we see the Wagons the
streets seek tho street track team of
horses can haul track road with a per
cent. grade about 9 gat tons. In some cases
track thirty 10 thirty-six inches wide would be
better adapted to the needs of the district In
places where there is not very heavy traffic,
wooden raj! with iron straps and fsnge may be
used The "steei rail-" wagon ROAD Can be built
for from 5000 TO 5000 per mile.
A good device Tor single track roads Is tine
electric bell alarm. wire Is strung between
turnouIs aud bell rings as long as a convey
auce Is on the track between turnouts. this
does away with much o. the necessity OF q
double track. The different methods OF con-
struction OF macatamZsd rosds Is 100 long for
discussion here, but the plan adop.ed by New
Jersey would De the best for the eastern part OF
the state The work OF construction OF all roads
should DO let by contract 20 the lowest respousi-
bic bidder. When oae5 tGe outline OF some
such plan as this IS made oy the legislature tae
law can be improved upon from session to
sion until we shall have road laws. ana eonse-
quently roads, worthy OF the state of Washing
ton J. u MCINTYRE, e. Z.
THE RATE OF INTEREST.