The record-union., 1896-01-18
A NEW ROAD INQUIRY BILL.

The Office Of Road Inquiry was estab-
lished some four years ago under the
Department Of Agriculture, and Gen
eral Roy Stone was made it's chief and
the special agent in charge. This was
in response to the urgent request
of the National Good Roads League
and the various State Road Conven-
tions and Associations.
Congress appropriated a sum of
money to put the office into efficient
working order, and to prosecute its in
quiries. It goes without saying that
it has been a great success. and that
its administration has given satisfac-
tion to the people generally. This sat
isfaction viii be enhanced by the news
contained in bill recently introduced
in Congress by Representative Stone of
Missouri. From that bill we ascertain
that of the Road Inquiry fund for 1894
and 1895 the Office has returned to the
treasury as unexpended the handsome
sum of over $4,000.
Mr.. Stones bill provides that this
returned sum of money shall be used
in still further good road promotion.
Accordingly, his BILL which will, as it
SHOULD. pass both houses, provides that
a legislative commission or committee
shall be raised, to consist of one Sem
ator, two Representatives the Chief of
Engineers of the army, the Director of
the Geological Survey and the Chief
OF the Road Inquiry Bureau. The COM
mission is to serve only during the
Fifty-fourth Congress and then its ex-
istence is to cease
The duties of this commission will
be to inquire how the Government may
further promote the Improvement of
highways by considering these sub
jects; the scientific location Of high
ways; discovery of road materials
through the Geological Survey; free
testing of materials; transportation
rates on road materials; construction
of model roads, and instruction in road
making at Agricultural Colleges and
Experiment Stations; the same instruc-
tion where practicable at military
schools and all institutions having mill
itary instructors, etc.
This commission is to hold free con-
ferences with railway managers and
others interested in improved high
ways; it is to hold meetings in any
States for the purpose of awakening
interest and gaining information. and
is to join with State Commissions and
authorities to that end, and the Con-
gressional Commissioners may to fur
ther that purpose delegate to other
members of Congress the power to rep
resent them at such meetings. The
staff of the Road Inquiry Office is in
structed to render this Legislative
Commission all possible assistance
under direction of the Secretary of
Agriculture.
The $4,000 returned by the Road In
quiry Bureau win be well and bene-
fcially expended as suggested by this
bill. The good road movement is no
longer an experiment It has reached
a state of success and national impor-
tance that is everywhere recognized,
and the people are practically unani-
nous in approving the work of the
Road Inquiry Office. Certainly California
has no reason to complain.
The Inquiry Bureau sent its Chief
Engineer to us without cost to the
State, and his inspection and advice
gave momentum to the good road
movement here it would not otherwise
have acquired for years. The great
amount of good road literature the bu-
reau has sent throughout the State
has had beneficial effect, and has given
the people much needed information
on this important subject.
The bill of Mr.. Stone contemplates
complementary work to that of the
Office of Road Inquiry and still further
AGITATION and information in that di-
rection. AS it calls for no new appro-
priation and simply utilizes a saving
made BY the Inquiry Office, it is proba-
bic that the bill viii meet with no op-
position and become a law. 1t has al
ready been read twice in the House
and referred to the Committee on Ap-
propriations.
The popular loan will be rapidly taken