St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1895-11-09
OUR POOR ROADS.
America Behind In Her Methods of Tn-
proyement.


America Behind in Her Methods of Tn'
proyement.
Some time ago, in speaking OF the |
widening use of electric cars, we
pointed out that in the cities they have
largely supplanted the horse as an
agent of transportation. 1t may be
well to say a word now concerning the |
state of our country highways, on |
which as vet the horse has no rival |
except, perhaps, the bicycle. The |
growth of our railways, steam and
electric, is no excuse for the neglect OF
our common roads.
If anyone doubts that we have neg
lected them most culpably, let MIN
look into the volume of consular re-
| ports on foreign streets and high
ways, issued IN 1891 by the govern
| ment at Washington. From these re-
ports it appears that no other country
IN Christendom, with the possible ex-
ception of Russia, has been SO negll-
gent.
| In France, for instance, the high
ways approach perfection-a fact to
which the prosperity of the French
peasantry is generally attributed.
The first Napoleon, in the intervals OF
his many wars, laid the foundations OF
the system Napoleon III. completed
it. Tie result is network OF admir-
able roads stretching out over the
whole country, under the constant IN
spection and care of specially trained
engineers
| Germany is not far behind. Great
Britain learned her lesson century
ago from the celebrated Mr.. Macadam,
and has never forgotten it. The eoun-
tries of southern Europe have prohted
richly by their legacy from the Ro-
mans, the great road builders OF an
tiouity. Hardly anywhere on the con-
tinent, in fact, would the mud and ruts
Of our American roads be tolerated.
Our baekwardness may be attributed
to the newness of the country and the
, rapidity with which it has been set
tied; but more abiding cause is found
J, in the nature of our constitution, and
| in the strong instinct of local self-gov-
: ernment among our people. Since the
abandonment of the Cumberland road
in 1888, the national government has
| done practically nothing. The states
have for the most part confined them
t selves to general and merely permls
r siye legislation on the subject. Every
r where the. highways have been left C
: the local authorities.
5 The result has been the widest diver
9 sity of plan and methods. In some sec
: tions the work is done mainly by con
4 yicts. In others, any citizen is liable
| to be called out to work on the road
3 for a certain number of days in th'
! wear. In certain counties of Virginia
o and elsewhere, the toll system is still
. prevalent.
!, The practical advantages OF 3 NOR
8 centralized system. like that OF France
are manifest. Frequently towns an
. counties through which importan
r highways pass are too poor to main
+ tain them properly. Important ques
}, tions of routes, topography and ma
+ teriaIs constantly arising, which re
9 quire investigation on a wide scale.
Scientific training is needed to MT
= man for the difficult work OF roae
/. building, and this is certainly not CON
:, mon among town and county officers
|, An authority on the subject declare
that the present haphazard system "a
IS not produced fifty competent hlgf
e way engineers throughout the Unite
L States.
nj RI has been demonstrated by actuf
E. tests that the force required to draw
r ton on a muddy earth road Is srfficler
r to draw four tons on hard macadi
u mized road. When we remem Der ths
i nearly all agricultural products, not !
'e sneak of other commodities, must
,e hauled at least two or three miles
wagons before the railroads can touc
1t them, it is apparent what an adval
II tage the European has over the Anne
d lean farmer in this respect.
le Multiply by three or four the cost
n hauling to the stations the total OF tt
at crons which the railroads handle evel
ne wear, and you have rough estimate
We the annual saying to the farmers alol
which would result from system
Id nronerly constructed highways. In Il
10 long run other classes would derive
IN most an equal benefit from the chang
Nv Even If we cencede that the aba
- doning of road building by the natlo
OF al government is final there seems
* ba no reason why the states shou
"a follow the example, Some of the old
ia states have recently awakened to t
en Importance of the subject Certain
ne ii Is hard to find better investme
e1 for the public money than the bettt
ne ment Of the common roads. -You
:, Companion
to Rustic Physiology.
ne Old Farmer Reed was driving sol
of the boarders over the beautiful M
m n 11..sa,,;,.a - s,..1s where The windi