Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-11-07
TO IMPROVE TIE HIGHWAYS.
Carriage I;uldcrs' As>"ciation Make.
 GO'd Suggestion.

\ a
 Good Suggestion.
 No recomnrcudgii made by the Carriage Builders ::,: Ociation during its recent convention N:::.S of greater i'm pOTtancc or contained q wiser outlook for the future pruSp, rity of its members than that prepared ly its committee on roads and highways, recommending the adoption Of an if, ctivc system of road laws and the use of wide tires and axlcs of varying widths on country roads. Better roads would increase the com fort, convenience alt profit of country residents and create an increased de maud for carriages of almost every grade
 It is fortunate that so many iutiu- cIlves are uniting ill the agitation for better roads, for just at this juuCturc even the unsatisfactory roads We have are threat, with new danger, which. if not ;iv, rt,.,i. may leave Us, so far aS conc, rTS roads ill the vicinity of cities and largo towns. very much in thc condition If the -Nr;.h in the fable who admitted tho camcl'> nose into his tent. This nrw ;lanly,I iS the electric railway. which, instead of securing a
 
 railways have been compelled to dn. apprnpTiatC> the principal country high ways and forthwith ruins them for or dlnaTy highway purposes. Unless car riagc builders aLd carriage drivers, wheelmCn and private citizyus of every degree and calling speedily unite to prevent this, the future highway prob lem will not bc n question of better roads, but Ot any roads at all.
 If public interest ,uou@h can l,c tn- listed in thc highway question to save the highways We have, their improve ucIt will speedily hvcn.nc one of the live issues of the day. Instead of doing away with the necessity for common highways. tn" steam railway ly its mar, vrluns development of the country has increased tLr demand for them. a de mamd that will l' still further StiInulat i eel by th,. multiplication" "f electric rail. way>. providing t." latter are confined to their legitimate ld. This being the Case, it k idle tu continue the present expensive dud useless highway system. which affords, if Tu>~IhI2. wor>r roads than it did halt q century ago.
 Tn" Vi!c essential first considerable! uf better roads h that their construction ] and maint nanCv shall bc directed by 1 competent engineers clothed with the i authority tu enforce the building Oi roads of a.ICrmaucnt a naturo The ol( | fashioned method of transferring tin, i soft clay from the roadside ditch to tn, ! center of IL" road itself, there to be come and remain soft clay during al | the rainy :cason, must Ec absolutely f-nbandOncd. Whether substantial road; can be best built under the direction c state commission. as provided by th, l Massachusetts law, or under thc dircc tion of the township and county author ities, as ill New Jersey, or under som, new plan differing from that adopted l,y any of the II states which have cmactc, new road laws i'll the last six years Can hc best determined by a comparison of methods ill actual practice hut tha q great forward stride should hc takCl i'll this mater admits of no doubt.
 The carriage builders did well to agi tate tho sulJ,ct. and all the industrial | commercial. transportation and 1inan cial interests in the country shoul, speedily follow their example -PhiIa dclphia TiMtS.