The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-09
ENGLAND,s GOOD ROADS.

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ENGLAND's GOOD ROADS.
How They Are Kept in Order..A
Practical Commentary ON the Bad
Roads Of America.
Ford's Letter in New York Tribune.
There are few treeless meadows ana
pastures among the hills Of Somerset;
and the care that is taken to group tne
trees Alright suggests the forethoueht
Of the landscape artist. There are also
the finest roads to be found anywhere
in the world, and there is nothing TO
disfigure them. There are no dttches at
the side; there are no ruts and pools IN
the centre: there is no wayside litter
and the fences are either stone walls
covered with vines, or neatly trimmed
| hedge rows. The commonest Enghsn
road is evenly bordered with turf. ana
is kept in such perfect order that II
might be claimed by the wealtniest
land baron as an ornamental drlFe Oh
his ancestral estate.
General Roy Stone. in the course OF
an excellent address delivered before
body of American educators at Bunaio;;
asserted that high-class technical
knowledge was not required for mas,
terry of the art Of road construction ana
repair, and expressed the belief that the
great uGSu Vi our cOuutIy iouuo AA sA.S
| United States Is daily care. He esti-
mated that $4O,000,00O was expended
every year in repairs without material
Improvement Of the roads. l have no
means Of verifying this estimate, nor
Is confirmation needed, since ne Is
recognized authority on the subject; out
l have no hesitation in declaring that
the secret of the perfect condition IN
which English roads are found at all
| l. t, mil
| in keeping them In order. Some or the
roads leading out of Bath were orig
inally made by the Romans, and all the
other highways, whether old' or new,
are of scientific construction with deep
| foundations and ample provision Tor
drainage; but neither antiquity nor the
roadmaker's art would protect them II
they did not receive constant supervis.
ion and daily care.
WELL CARED FOR.
One of the most important functions
of local government in England is sys-
tematic oversight of the roads. Every
county council has standing commit.
teee on roads, which takes charge OF
the highways and keeps them in repair
at the expense Of the rates. The conf
mittee is large one. and Is subdiVlded
into a series of small committees, each
WIN llS OWN 10 GA 80
spector for every division OF the coun-
ty, and ne employs a force OF road
members and holds them responsible
for the sections Of road assigned to
them. The roadmender lives in cot
tage on the line of the highway which
he Is required to keep in order, and he
Is constantly at work. He Is at once
scavenger and a rOadmender. He
goes over the road every day and re-
moves in a barrow everything that is
unsightly. After heavy rain his
trained eye detects signs Of wear at
points where the water does not drain
Off rapidly, and he mends the break and
restores the level by dumping load
Of flint where II Is needed. Supplies OF
ma terial for roadmending are in re-
serve every half mile. where flint has
been carted, broken up and left for his
Lse. IAe Wutc.Ies ms section or roao
all the year round, and keeps It neat,
tidy, free from litter and In perfect re-
pair; and he receives sharp warning
from the inspector If he neglects his
work.
This is the English system, and 1t
may be recommended to American re-
formers for efficiency and economy. !
observe that Mr.. Stone advises the Or
ganizSsion Of road leagues among older
schoolboys, and their employment as
road repairers with tools and carts sup
piled by the local authorities. 1t is not
work for schoolboys, bur for trained
force Of roadmen, hired for the purpose,
constantly employed and required to
clean the highways as we'll as to fill up
the rutS and to restore the broken
grades. School teachers could un-
doubtedly do much to interest the ris-
ing generation In this greatly needed
reform; but amateur roadmenders,
working at random when they are In
the mood for 1t, could accomplish little.
What is required is reform Of local
administration by which systematic
measures will be taken to secure good
roads in America. If so great sum as
$40. 100000 be expended annually on road
repairs, and yet the roads he made no
better 1t may not be because highway
commissioners draw their salaries and
are content with setting gangs of labor
ers at work few days before election:
but 1t is at least the result of lack Of
organization and painstaking care.
Up THE LANSDOWN ROAD.
A few days ago took long stroll up
the Lansdown Road to see Beckford's
Tower, from the lantern Of which one
of the broadcast prospects in Somerset
and Wiltshire may be had on a clear
day; and In returning to Bath 1 made
from observation in a heavily wooded
hillside and apparently unaware Of the
existence Of the outer world. 1t was
the hamlet Of Charicombe. with tiny
Norman church under a wide-spreading
yew tree. which has been reputed to be
the mother church of Bath Abbey, with
its fantastic Jacobs Ladder. 1t was q
deserted village without a sign of life.
One could walk from one end of Ii to
hA nf fha.p wit haa rs, .,tn
Seeeing human face. A few miles be-
yond 1t was Longridge. another village
slumbering peacefully In similar isola-
tion on the eastern slope Of Lansdown.
These hamlets were approached by
lonely road overhung with trees and
Dordered with stone walls and high
hedges. There seemed to be no farm
ing occupations, and there was not a
vehicle of any kind moving. nor hardly
a stroller by the wayside. Yet the road
leading to these somnolent villages was
in as perfect condition as though the
Queen OF the realm were expected to
make triumphal progress over II on
the morrow. There had been heavy
rains in the week, but there were no
pools OF standing water in the road and
no Shiny trenches at the sides There
was no mud to tarnish carriage wheel.
II one were to be driven over it, There
were no stones In the road to trip up
wheelmen; there were no fallen trees
or decaying stumps by the wayside;
there were no signs of neglect at any
turn. A faithful roadman living close
at hand was hired by the county to
keep the road in order. and he did his
work so well that 1t was q source of
comfort and delight to every one pass
ing over it.
Good roads in England are not the
result Of teaching in the public schools
or of sentimental agitation. They are
practical detail Of common sense, eff.
ficient local administration. Nobody
ever feels called upon here to preach the
gospel Of good roads. The English peo-
pie have them because they pay for
them In local taxation and insist upon
having them kept in order The poor.