The record-union., 1899-01-13
A FORECAST MADE.

The raising of about 100000 per
year for highway purposes is equiva-
lent to q tax levy of 20 cents per 500
ON one billion dollars. This amounts
to SSO,O0O,OOO in forty years, which
sum intelhgentay and honestly expend-
ed viii give California magnificent
system Of highways. But it requires
the Introduction OF system, skill and
integrity in every detaM. But II the
present system be continued, the full
benefit of the expenditure OF this vast
sum will be far from being realized.
In some counties the interest in road
work has been so fully aroused that
permanent sub-structures Of masonry
are gradually being introduced, and in
some. such as Napa or Solano, it would
be next to the impossible to return to
timber culverts and bridges. But in
the great majority of counties timber
is looked upon as the proper material
to build bridges of, even though ex-
cellent materials for some form Of ma
sonry exist close at hand This is even
true in the case of some steel bridges.
COST OF BRIDGE WORK.
An interesting table is presented for
each county In the State, showing what
each has in the last eight years ex-
pended for lumber and bridge work and
what the probable cost has been for
bridges and culverts. The totals make
a very significant showing: For lum-
Der. 1914, O92; for bridge work, 81, $780,
S9S. Total, $2,30S,7 III. Probable total
cost $3,33S, 151. But twelve of the
counties are omitted, data not being
obtainable, and in two or three other
cases but partial data was to be had.
This very fact illustrates the loose way
in which matters have been allowed to
run. The Commissioners sharply crit
icise the methods of business in the
counties in this respect and add:
To correct this condition of affairs
it is necessary to call in some official
whose business it is to know more about
bridge building, the economic use Of
materials, their strength and cost, than
the Boards of Supervisors-for, however
broad may be their general knowledge
and experience, their business training
is not such as to develop that skill
which it is the business Of an engineer
to acquire. Consequently, they are fire.
quently misled in the selection Of ma
terials and in the cost of highway
structures.
BRIDGE PUZZLES FOR EVERY
BODY.
The deductions from all these show
ings are:
First-That there is unaccountable
variation in the cost Of bridge struct-
ures.
Second-That where trained technical
skill has been employed the cost has
been reduced by more than half The
story is told how in Yolo County in
1885 it cost by contract So, 800 to con-
struct two spans of bridge of 100 feet
each while the County Surveyor built
right by the side of that bridge and adj
joining a single span Of the same kind
of bridge for 81 ,6S5.
"A lighter bridge of the same style
cost Nevada County by contract for the
same span $3.50. But San Diego
County built five-span bridge, with
four feet wider roadway, same span,
for S911 span. It is added that there
is no appreciable reason why there
should be such remarkable difference
between the cost of the same order OF
bridges in the several counties.
This subject is dwelt upon and other
examples given of wide difference of
cost which cannot be accounted for on
any other ground than this, that in the