The suburban citizen., 1901-08-10
FOR BETTER State Highway.

~ IL OF the marked exhibits or
machinery at the Pan-Ameri-
can Exhibition this summer
constitutes a collection of
the latest and most improved road
building and road-repairlng machines
1t is intended TO make this exhibit Of
permanent benefit to the country by
showing in detail to visitors what can
be accomplished in improving our pub
lie highways, and incidentally the ma
tional conference upon road improve
ment that will be held in Buffalo late
in the summer will tend to emphasize
this point In many rural parts of the
country little is known of modern
road-machnes, and 1t is to convince
highway superintendents and resi-
dents of the rural districts of the econ
omy in road building and repairing
when the latest labor-saving machines
are used. As delegates from all the
different States will meet in Buffalo
at the good roads conference, it is ex-
pected that a new impetus TO road
building will thus be given to all parts
of the country.
In connection with this It is inter
esting to note some of the changes and
plans for road Improvement that have
been made by the State Of New York
for the coming year 1t is estimated
from official figures that contracts will
be given out this year for road i'm
prOvements in the State involving an
expenditure of nearly a million dol
lars The State has appropriated
$420,0O0 for road improvements for the
will be expended by the different cOun-
ties. This State appropriation is in
strong contrast with past sums voted
for road improvements, and is more
than twice the amount ever turned
over by the Legislature for such pur-
poses. In 1890 the sum appropriated
for State highways amounted in
round numbers to $150,OOO, and In the
two preceding years $4,000 each, max
ing the current appropriations much
larger than for the three previous
years.
The expenditure for the current year
Is no indication of extravaganza, but
rather a conservative and sensible ont.
lay Of funds at a time when road Inn
provements have reached what might
be called an economical period of evo-
luton. Because of the invention Of
new road machinery 1t is possible to
construct public country highways to-
day at a cost of one-third and one-half
the expense required five years ago. 1t
is to demonstrate the success Of this
that the road machinery exhibit has
been made at the Pan-American.
When good highways are once made
to-day according to careful engineer
ing plans, the modern road-repalring
implements enable the counties and
towns to keep them in excellent con-
dition at very little annual outlay of
funds.
AS an illustration of the reduction
In the cost Of road-buildlng through
better engineering methods and the
employment of new road implements.
it is estimated by the State Engineers
Office that the new road extending
from Newburg to Woodbury. in Orange
County, New York, can be constructed
at cost of about $1,000 per mile the
whole distance Of eleven miles. This
road is a broad macadam running
through some very hilly and rough
parts Of the county. Similar roads a
few years ago cost upwards Of $4,000
and $1,000 per mile. This reduction in
the cost is not entirely due to improved
road machines, although they form the
most important factor in the question.
The engineers have developed better
and more economical plans for build
ing and improving roads, and the
price of trap-rock for finishing of the
surface has been reduced in cost.
There has been a more general de-
mand for crushed stone since the mod
ern road-improvement crusade was
started, and this has caused the con
struction Of many new quarry fac
tories, and the invention of new ma
chimes for crushing and supplying the
stone. 1t is estimated that the differ
tute III lHc Noel VI tldp-lONh NO-uoJ
saves the engineers nearly a thousand
dollars a mile in road construction.
The New York State Engineer Is
busily employed in considering furth-
er reduction in the cost of trap-rock
for State road building purposes, and
he has suggested the advisablllty Of
the State purchasing n trap-rock quar-
ry, and putting the convicts at Sing
Sing to work in them preparing the
stone for public hlghways.-Harper's
Weekly.
Improve Country and Town,
Ono 90 +bo oseoutIoIs in thia IIfa 10 n