The suburban citizen., 1900-09-29


highways up to the level Of those Of
other nations.
Authority will be given to the agents
to conduct experiments, with any ma
terial or along any lines that are sug-
gested by those residing in and ia
miliar with the districts in which they
are located, and these experiments will
be reported OH and the reports added
to the valuable literature that the
department will gather in the course
of the movement. Where the traffic
of the locality is of sufficient extent
to necessitate it steel experiments will
be carried on upon more extensive
scale than any heretofore conducted,
and a careful record Of the cost Of
the road made in this way, with the
approximate saving to the wagon
wheels and the benefit TO the district,
and forwarded to the department.
1t is anticipated that questions will
arise where steel tracks are laid and
hard rock for the filling up of the
space between the tracks cannot read
| lily be obtained, as to the cheapest
method of supplying. the deficiency. 1t
will be the duty of the agent to make
experiments along these lines with the
material at his hands, and if he finds
he cannot obtain the necessary ma
terial in his vicinity it will be left to
him to make trips farther out and
search the district to see if nature has
not in some hitherto undiscovered spot
left a bountiful provision for just such
need and kept it hidden, awaiting
the ingenuity and perseverance Of man
to dig out and utilize. Having found
the material that he, with his practical
knowledge of road-making and the
additional knowledge acquired by eX-
Pronunciation, finds is needed for the
betterment of the highways in that dis
trict, it will be the duty of the agent
to apply to the transportation compan-
les for rates, so that when he makes
his report regarding the needs Of the
district he will at the same time have
the figures Of the cost complete and
accurate
When the reports Of the various
agents are printed there win naturally
be sufficient rivalry among them to
call up the best efforts of the men to
excel in the report that will follow,
and advantage will be taken Of the
suggestions in the report of one agent
by another agent, so that the second
reports will be sure to contain even
more valuable data than the first. In
this way the foundation will be laid
for useful road literature, the attention
Of others will be drawn to the matter.
papers viii be read by men who are
interested and have a practical knOwl'
edge of the subject, and the whole
country viii be stirred to action and
helped in the work of improvement.
The intention of the movement is to
ensure practical results in a matter
that has long passed the talking stage.
The Department of Agriculture will
place at the disposal of the agents
in cooperation with them the facili-
ties of the experiment stations to be
found in the various States, and every
encouragement will be given for the
formation Of classes by road experts.
In word, the department is prepared
to give the whole matter the broadcast
and most careful attention with a
view to the extension to the people
Of the various States every possible as
sistance to better the condition Of the
highways and lessen the troubles Of
those who use the public roads extern
sively,