The Banner-Democrat., 1898-08-13

afond work Ia conStfQ~
ne6ds, but Tor pefmanef9ic.
street superint tendents andS
missioners in towns and cities.
demand il beginning 10 be recognA
and pr6pararions made to meet Il,
a6ording courses of instruction on thu
subject IN various institutions, public
exhibitions Of the working OF road
machinery, and In other ways.
As Massachusetts was among the
first to improve her highways, SO she
was about the earliest to provide in
struction on the subject Of road-build-
ing. In the Institute of Technology and
the Lawrence Scientific School, Har-
ward University, complete courses OF
instruction are given; models, draw
ings and photographs are used in the
the lecture rooms, and visits are made
to works in process of construction.
Anyone may enroll himself IN the
course in highway engineering at the.
Lawrence Scientific School, by the
payment of small fee.
But, however good the instruction
furnished to young men in institu-
tions of learning, it will be some years
before their training is completed, and
more years before they acquire the ex-
perience that will make them mcst
valuable. In the meantime, roads
must be built, and those engaged In
building them, and others who are re-
sponsible for the care of them. require
practical instruction. To afford this,
in connection with the construction
of the State highways, has always
been o feature Of the work OF the
Massachusetts Highway Commission.
In the last four years the State has
expended nearly two million dollars
on its roads. The work has been To-
Gated in 1875 different municipalities
scattered throughout the State, out
of total of 353, or over one-third OF
the entire number. Fifty other muni-
cipalities have built modern roads, OF
ITS in all; 50 that almost exactly one
half of the entire number of towns
and cities have had experience in first
class road-building. AS towns are
given the first choice of taking con.
tracts to construct State highways IN
their own territory, and many have
undertaken it, there are hundreds o.
men scattered over the State who have
had actual experience in building
some of the best roads in the world
This alone has proved q valuable
means of disseminating information
| One result is that good foremen car
now be readily secured where, foul
years ago, it was difficult task.
High-class road-building, according
to the most-approved, scientific meth
dds, and the use of modern machinery
in SO many widely-separated localities
has afforded town officials, whose dut.
it is to look after the roads, opportun
tiles for obtaining information tina
they could get in no other way
These men ordinarily fill other office
and are engaged in business, and hav,
no time to leave home to study road
building theoretically; but. whel
roads are constructed near their doors
under competent supervision, they ar
quick to appreciate it.
The Highway Commission emplo
Q about sixty resident engineers, one c
3 whom is stationed wherever til
Q State builds road, to instruct til
: contractor in the methods to be en
lployed, and he remains on the grOun
: from start to finish. These engineer
t are, in turn, looked after by five d
p visional engineers and chief eng
r neer, to secure uniformity. At th
s end of the season. all the engineer
9 are called together, and discuss til
II years work in detail. The meeting
II are lively and interesting, and anyor
Q who has attended them will appreciat
:, their value.
l. Besides this, the Commission holt
le public hearing in each county evel
70 year. Town officials, and all :othe
interested in the roads, attend ther
1t and views are freely interchanged. 4
8, association has also been formed,
IN whose meetings experiences are inte
|. changed and papers read. by the
Of methods the young and inexperiencs
70 man learns both theory and practic
n and the older practical man becom
" acquainted with modern theories.
'y A. w. Bulletin.
No FREQ Delivery Depends on Roads.
m To promote the business, social d
he educational interests of the people O
re | the objects of the Road Inquiry Bure
q. and the Postoffice Department of t
M Government. Having these things
view, they desire to extend the syst
q. of free rural postal delivery, and W
rio test it under oil conditions. Roui
.re have been selected in New Jersey a
le- Pennsylvania over stone, gravel, cl
he and dirt roads, and the results in ea
nd case will be carefully noted. 1t is {