The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-17

The Economy Of Good Roads.
Deputy Secretary Of Agriculture Hamil-
I ton OF Pennsylvania. has submitted 10 his
superior officer in the department a paper
on the improvement OF the public roads
OF the state which contains many state
1 ments and suggestions that are Of inter-
i. esq 10 other states as well a. 70 Pennsyi-
yauia. Probably the most striking Of all
/ the assertions iu the paper is. that the
5000 miles OF roads in the state can be
i piked six inches thick with finely broken
stone. in AN districts where stone is easi-
F ly obtainable, with the taxes Of 1885. IN
I just nine years with no bonding OF town
ships or increase OF debt" That is to
say. one years taxes are sufficient to give
the state a system OF good roads. TO he
completed IN nine years. The road taxes
Of Pennsylvania for the year mentioned
amounted TO S3622. s.76. exclusive OF she
road poll tax paid by wards. boroughs and
cities.
According 10 Deputy Hamilton the taxes
of 1895, and Of many years previously.
have been expended upon the roads with
out securing to the state any permanent
improvements worth speaking Of. IN
comparison with the total mileage, the
mileage Of good roads in the state is insig-
nidcant Thus millions Of dollars have
been wasted upon the highways, ana
they are still tn a condition TO call for the
expenditure Of as many more millions. un-
der the system of road working hereto
fore employed.
What is true Of the Pennsylvania roads
in this respect is true also Of the roads in
state. Hundreds Of thousands Of dollars,
in money. labor and time. are expended
upon the roads every year. and at the be-
/ ginning of the next year the roads are in
as deplorable condition as they were be-
/ fore. The reason is that the work is not
| gone about in a scientific. or even a com
/ mon sense manner. The road beds are
not properly drained or graded, and the
first heavy rain that falls after the roads
have been worked washes them fun
Of ruts and gullies or makes deep ana
/ dangerous mud holes in them.
Deputy Hamilton says road building up
! 10 this time has cost too much money.
/ The reason is that plans employed in
/ France and other European countries 100
/ years ago and stiu in use there. have been
followed here. Great advances in road
/ building machinery have been made in
4 late years. so that il is now perfectly fel-
sible to build the best stone ballast coun-
/ try roads for about $3.50 per mile One
/ item alone that offers room for a saving
is the stone Mr. Hamilton says the ten
dency is to put on too much stone. and
stone that is much too big. mo stone
/ should be put on public
road that will not go through
an inch-and-a-half ring. Small
stone, ranging from an inch and a half
down to powder. placed on a prepared
foundation, viii compact into a mass al
most as solid as concrete. and rain fall
! ing upon such a road is shed as effectual-
| ly as from a cemented floor. Here is the
secret Of building roads" says Mr.. Hamil-
ton.
The foregoing facts, from an authority,
should be of especial interest in Georgia
just at this time. The governor appar-
emily is in favor of putting the convicts to
work upon the public highways. The leg
islators who will be elected in october
will be called upon to pass a law govern
they should inform themselves with regard
to advanced road building, its cost aud
the benefits to be derived.