The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-01-06

erly conceived or when work Is prOpeLiy
done. Thus it is that we are reasonably
certain to enter upon work Of this char-
acter and make many sad MISTAKES. II
is the history of all OF our pubic unosr-
takings. The history of the city or In.
dianapolis affords a very good example ot
what l have just said We have spent
structing good gravel streets, and from
sheer neglect have allowed them 10 go
into decay and waste; Our people nass
was necessary to it's proper maintenance.
Some years & a large part OF tennessee
street was we'll and extensively paved
with broken stone. A good macadam
street. Our people in authority ala not
know enough about street building TO Know
ing a macadam street into good condluon
to give it attention after 1t had been pulIt.
1t was only a few years ago-thrSs "
~fOur-that Seventh street east or AlaDdIla
was covered with a splendid macadam COW
ering, but after the work was done IL was
completely neglected. All over our city
cleaning and the addition of a little broken
stone and screened gravel TO bring them
into excellent condition They will not re-
ceive attention, however. They viii be al
lowed TO go yet farther into q state OF de-
cay; then in a short time they VIII pe
plowed up and expensive new streets put
in their place. New streets are built wnen
cleaning and slight repair. would develop
many which are row merely in a state OF
neglect. This is the price which Indianapo-
lis is paying fo-negligence on this ques-
ton. indianapolis is in about the same
COIlllllOu Ill lltS ItOpC(l do IL Oil ONANA
cities in this country. What applies to the
cities applies with equal force to the coun-
try.
THE best roads which 1 know anything
about on the other side Of the world are
| those of France. The roads of the United
| Kingdom and those Of Belgium, Holland
and Germany are OF a splendid character.
They are in a condition OF excellence when
we from practical experience know nothlns
| about. But the roadways of France are
perfect. They are absolutely Clean, as
smooth as asphalt, and much better th3l
asphalt to travel upon. one can Walk
along these roads after a heavy rain and
not soil the uppers of his shoes. They are
grass plots and shade trees, and are in
every way ideal. They are maintained IN
this condition by an organization SO per
| feet that despair of making 1t clearly uh,
| derstood 1t is so distinct and far removed
from any of our methods that 1t is dlflcuit
of comprehension At the root OF the whole
matter is a splendid civil service, and
it is we'll to know that this is the prin-
cipal element leading to their high develop
may be upturned and be transposed from
an empire into a republic, but there are no
changes in the road service. The road or.
lcers remain the same. n Boulanger might
| come along tomorrow and upturn the re-
public of France-blood might be shed in
p Imsin Unclaimed e i"e The he' civil / service is more
solid than the government itself. 1t is not
a question as to what a road officer or
4 laDOISI Il@y lBlbh dDOul biAC III - @O
the church or any other matter of general
concern. The only question as 10 MN IS
the roads of France? Is he intellectually
capable. or Is he supplied with good bone
and muscle? These conditions erect ms
service which cares for the roadWays OF
France.
Il nave a book which contains a COM
pendulum of the road laws of that section.
The road laws of France form q veritabFe
text book on the construction and care OF
roads. These people assume tnas Ine d9u oSSt
rs an engineering problem. Nothing Is lett
20 mere Judgment; there is no chance for
originality. Hence, there Is nothing expert
mental. 1t is statutory not alone with
respect to engineering details. but with
respect to all business details. The ADJUST
ment of the tax, it's collection, the payment
Of tax by material, labor or money. Every
possible complication is anticipated and its
eolution made a statutory provision. 1t
les into the matter of the laying out of
new roads and the Strengthening or old
ones, and every other feature connected
with the pushes and science OF ROAD max
ing and road care. The compendium also
indicates the relation which all roads have
10 the general government and the scheme
of road building and road care.
80 much for detail; so much for the
machinery of q splendid organization. shall
we be able to accomplish anything of this
kind under present conditions? L fear that
we must repeat our history IN otner mat
ters; that we shall wade through years
of laundering and wasteful, needless ex-
penditure in order to gather information
necessary to a proper development OF a
successful scheme of operation; How can
present order Of things when there Is no
special incentive for a high order. OF public
service? A few days ago a friend saw one
of our city officers experimenting the MI
ing of a mudhole on one of our streets: lie
had piled into the slush some powders OF
various sizes, and was raklng from the
gutter some filth to level up the mass. De-
spite this fact if he is a good hustler at a
primary he can hold his job: 90 not men
IT, AIf. ronf4nr with CnaQiql reference 20
our own city, but as a typical nstanSs
which will apply to any city or town. WITH
respect to other American cities lndlanapoEs
is in relatively good shape; Absoluteiy
from the standpoint. of public service, and
the results growing therefrom, she is in very
William Fortune, secretary of the Com
mercial Club, addressed the association or
Methods of Work in Indiana Ian His re re-
of the delegates and were well received
MR.. FORTUNES TALK.
In the course of his talk Mr.. Fortune
expressed the opinion that the organized
efforts of the Highway Improvement Asso-
citation should be directed chiefly to arous-
ing. due appreciation of the imP2rtanfe
and need of better roads, rather than 70
the discussion in the beginning OF purely
technical questions. When the people could
be made to sufficiently understand the econ
Omies and profits to be derived from
roadways which would facilitate travel
and the transportation of products 20 the
markets InclI lhtcItSbo NOuiN INNS NiN
speedily to the consideration of the Ques,
ton of how and by whom the road should
be built. Until they sufficiently appreciated
the benefits of good roads it is hardly to
be expected that it would be worth while
10 discuss the methods Of making them
He thought that the association could wei
afford to refrain from attempting to pui
forth any proposed law. The experience OF
the road congress q year ago well demon
strated the uselessness of efforts in this
direction. He had at the time opposed the
action of the congress because he believed
IL iniudiciouS. Experience had shown, ht
believed, that it was the most unfortunate
move that had been made. While not al
together commendable, 1t still was the dis
position of the Legislative body to reSen
anything that seemed like dictation of leg
~islation. When the time for Legislation
came it could be given form better anC
with more certainty through the quiet anC
deliberate work of a committee.
The primary lesson in the educatlona
work was the showing to the farmer o
what he would save and gain pecuniarily
and of what his benefits would be socially
This would neceSSitate using every mean!
and opportunity for spreading information
on the subject. The facts and argument
should be put before the farmers meet
ings in every locality, and should be regu
larly and INCREASINGLY supplied to the publ
through the medium OF the local news
papers. There would be nothing lost b.
carrying the agitation in to politics, with
out attempting, however, TO connect tn
movement with any particular party. Can
didates for the Legislature should be re
quired to declare themselves on the sub
ject. 1t is enough TO demand that the.
pledge their support simply to Legislation
which will assure honest and efficient ex
penditure of the revenues already pro