The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-10-17
OUR POOR ROADS.
America Behind in Her Methods of I'M
prOVement.


| America Behind in Her Methods of I'M
prOvement.
| 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 word now concerning the |
| state of our country highways, on |
which as yet 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 him
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. The 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 coun-
tries of southern Europe have proiited
richly by their legacy from the Ro-
mans, the great road builders of an
tiquity. Hardly anywhere on the con-
tinent, in fact, would the mud and ruts
of our American roads be tolerated.
Our backwardness 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
, in the nature of our constitution, and
in the strong instinct of local self-gov-
, eminent among our people. Since the
= abandonment of the Cumberland road
r in 1888, the national government has
, done practically nothing The states
have for the most part confined them
: selves to general and merely permls-
9 sive legislation on the subject. Every
$ where the highways have been left to
= the local authorities.
The result has been the widest diver
4 sity of plan and methods. In some sec
: lions the work is done mainly by con-
t victs. In others, any citizen is liable
y to be called out to work on the roads
: for a certain number of days in the
. wear In certain counties of Virginia,
and elsewhere, the toll system is still
= prevalent.
:, The practical advantages of more
8 centralized system, like that Of France,
Q are manifest. Frequently towns and
u counties through which important
s highways pass are too poor to main
tain them properly. Important ques-
y tions of routes, topography and ma
a terials constantly arising, which re-
{, quire investigation on wide scale.
o Scientific training is needed to fit a
y man for the difficult work of road
building. and this is certainly not COM
# mon among town and county officers.
| "A
l. that the present haphazard system has
t not produced fifty competent high,
Il way engineers throughout the United
1t States.
e 1t has been demonstrated by actual
5. tests that the force required to draw a
ton on muddy earth road is ST. tficient
to draw four tons on hard macada
mixed road When we remember thai
in nearly all agricultural products, not tc
speak of other commodities, must be
e hauled at least two or three miles IL
e wagons before the railroads can touch
N them, it is apparent what an advan
n tage the European has over the Amer
r. lean farmer in this respect.
a, Multiply by three or four the cost o
re hauling to the stations the total of the
re crops which the railroads handle every
is wear, and you have rough estimate o
+, the annual saving to the farmers alone
lie which would result from a system o
is properly constructed highways. In The
it lone run other classes would derive al
a most an equal benefit from the change
lie Even if we concede that the aban
doning of building by the nation
al government Is maj, 'hele oeehio "
+ be no reason why the states shonl'
a follow the example. Some of the olde
IN states have recently awakened to TIN
'o Importance of the subject, Certainl,
IN it is hard to find better investmen
lg for the public money than the better
IN ment of the common roads.-You
Companion.