The Monitor-register., 1897-02-26

Improvement in the respective countries
where they have been stationed, and
have submitted their report to the United
States Government, which report we
have not yet obtained. Sessions Of the
following road organizations have been
held recently: National Assembly for
Good Road Improvement, at Chicago,
1892; National Road League, Washington,
1898; National Road Conference, Asbury
Park, 1894; National Road Parliament,
Atlanta. 1895, and North Carolina Asso.
citation. Iu referring to action by the
States we find that Massachusetts, has
road law QS94> appropriating about
5000. 600 per year, in charge of High
way Commission. They have 106
petitions for roads to be improved, aggre-
eating 500 miles. Work has been COM
menced on fifty miles in thirty different
sections of the State at an estimated cost
of 50, 500 to $4,000 per mile. Counties
pay one fourth and State three-fourths of
the cost. Floyd county, Georgia, builded
from 1881 to 1898 seventy miles of
macadam road at cost of 81 ,657 per
mile. They use limestone and cobble,
and employ misdemeanor convicts in
construction. Five other counties are
building these roads. Each county may
elect to work their roads by convict or
| contract labor.
Major M. Il. Crump, of Kentucky, the
State noted for its good roads and fine
horses, is authority for the following, as
! brief extracts from his report: "Com-
menced building stone roads before the
war of 1861; the State contributed toward
the cost and individuals took stock in
them as toll roads. Fifteen counties have
these macadam pixies. Tue road from
Louisville to Nashville was built entirely
by the State. 1t was worn out by the
passing of both armies over it. and after
ward turned over to the counties as
public road. In the county of Warren,
where | live, we have thirty miles of it.
ln 1890 the county appropriated $4OO
mile to re metal that section of the road,
small amount to repair such road. l
was assigned the work-distributed the
stone material eight feet wide with Gov
ering of one inch of heavy red clay to
bind the whole together; to my surprise
in six months the travel had connected
the clay and crushed stone and to-day it
IG cnli sy,k khn Arr
Sixty additional miles of road in our
county have recently been stoned, the
county paying half and abutting owners
half of COST Tramps and inmates of
the jsils are put to work on the roads,"
Hon. Martin Dodge. State Road Com
missioner of Ohio, ella ms they have
probably doIe more in road Improvements
than any other State. They had the ad-
vantage of the National Cumberland
Road, built partly upon their soil, to
begin with. Shelby county alone has
expended nearly two and half million
dollars on its wagon roads by county tax
without State aid. Commissioner Dodge,
however, says: Notwithstanding this
great expenditure has been made, and
admitting the fact that at the time it was
made it added to the value of the land
because it made it possible to apply labor
to better advantage than it could other
wise be pplied-notwithsta all
that, it has not proved to be for the best
interests of the people to continue this
method CT road construction. Ispeak of
this to illustrate the fast that there is
limit to the wisdom of expending money
in large sums"
We find that in Ohio much thought
has been given to the subject of econo-
MIXING by combining the electric and
wagon ways on the main thoroughfares
to the cities. A broad grooved steel rail
is proposed to meet the wants of both,
over which freight can be conveyed by
wagons at any time If desired, but espe-
cially for five hours after 10 O'Clock at
night, when there is no passenger travel.
The cost Of constructing steel rail track
is estimated at $1,000 Ier mile. The
power required to draw load on steel
rail is said to be one eighth of that on
stone road, and one-eighteenth of that on
common roads. This may be consider.
alton now, as the farmers labor under the
disadvantage of competing with those
who can bring their products $50 miles
by rail or 900 miles by lake at about
the same cost as crops can be conveyed
five miles by wagon on the common road.
The Ohio Legislature has enacted law
providing for building three different
sections of experimental steel rail wagon
ways.
New Jersey has recent road laws, as
follows: 1888, Act to allow townships to
bond for stone roads; 1889, Freeholders
may acquire and maintain roads, two
thirds cost By county, balance by town
ship; 1891 Township Committee to con-
troll roads, also an Act for permanent
Improvement; 1894. allows townships to
impose $50 penslty for using tire less
than four inches wide on stone roads;
1886, allows townships to rebate 81 on
tire four inches wide. The State has
appropriated and expended as follows:
Appropriated. Expended.