Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-01-15
THB BIG ROAD CONVENTION.
Steps Taken to Get Better Pub
lie Highways.
SOME PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS MADE
A Proposition for Navigation
Through the Air.
sATuRpAY ARrERsooN.


The committee on permanent organi-
z4tion In It's report offered the follow
ing resolution. "ThAt II is the sense of
tins meeting that all money hereinafter
expended by the county court on roadt
should be applied 10 permanent road
baiIding under tine supervision Of
county superintendent OF roads" This
like the remainder Of the report was
adopted, by q unanimous vote.
Jon II. Albert made practical sd-
dress on scientific road building. He
showed that II would be impractical TO
build expensive TeIford or Macadam
system. He approved Geo. s. Down
ing's ideas.
On bottom lands get drainage. Get
the water line below the earth liDe.
With drainage 1t requires less gravel.
Where land was higher. 10 the bills.
there was plenty Of road metal, but
rock crusher was necessary. A stone
rsad was not fit 10 drive over until IL
wAa soldid and watertight. II the road
building power was Ia fewer hands
those hands could be instructed. The
laws now provide two systems. Que
IL the old one OF distributing the funds
In small amounts In the hands Of q
great many supervisors. The new law
gives the county court the power Of
supervision, the direct authority to
build the roads through a county road
master. In counties OF ten thousand
or over the salary Of competent
rad engineer can be fixed by the coun-
~ court.
The bond question referred 10 by Mr.
Downing was not an objection because
any tar was first lien on property.
Plans and models Of Tice s. Riddel,
presented and referred to committee on
plans. Special prize essay ON road
building, published by university Of
Pennsylvania, supplied to the conven-
tlon by J. II. Albert. was referred to
committee on plans.
3. II. Burford spoke OF the Tennessee
road laws and told how good highways
were built there where the gravel has
70 be hauled $50 miles.
Gid 5tsiner spoke Of the Ohio system.
He preferred the building Of good
wagon roads TO more railroads.
Capt. 9. B.ormsby spoke As a farmer,
who hArmed not from n state prison OF
bank on the evils OF the present system.
6upt. Downing spoke on use Of con.
vlcts on public highways. He declared
it 10 be the experience OF other states
that convicts cost too much TO guard
them. They might be used about sa.
lem 20 good advantage.
A LITTLE FUN.
WHEREAS, Capt. Ornsby has con-
cluslRely pruveu that our present road |
sysem h an illegitimate cross bet ween
navigation by water and transportation |
by land, and
WHEsnAs. IL il fact that the road
To C0uuly Commissioner AndensOu's
bome - 30 bad thai nc could not come
70 tue last sesalou * the county court
by wagon or on horseback but had To
walk 10 Salem across the fields fourteen
miles afDoi, aud
WHEREAS, 4. y. Geer Is the only
man Iu the Waldo Hills whose legs are
long enough TO walk In ffUm the Wal
DO Hills aith0ut dr0wniRg, aud a. Il
seems impossible 10 travel by land or
wafer, therefore be IL
Resolved. That they be app0lnted a
fpecial committee on navigation
ihrough the air
This created much merrlment.
DR.. Minthorn reported that In bis
ilstriet the people bad raised slO2S To
build good road. The county was
10 contribute 900 mile for ten miles.
rhey were going 20 buy a rock erusher
J. r. Robertson spoke of his experi.
nee % buIldlag toad. Supervisor
)swar made levy afier levy until We
IAd ncd roads. The nstural earth
aFlsoe was better than any raised or
lowed surface. la place ~ raising the !
nth up lntihs water down aud out By \
|ioheaL &
Engineer MoCArl Of the state asylum .