The Red Cloud chief., 1902-06-20
~NN&1
&@0WD SUD- : EEEE
S. MGMDSY:;
%T~ ~Y
wha, the National G%oycrnnent :. DoIns

what the National Government IL Doing.
y his latest report tn the Depart.
mcnt of Agriculture Martin Dodge,
director of the office of Public
Road Inquiries. makes the follow
ing remarks regarding tn" work of the
office and its needs aud plans for the
future:
1T is proper just here to call attcn.
lion to II misconccption which appears
10 exist In the minds of some to the Of.
feet that increased appropriations for
this work may lead 10 national nh. II
should hr distinctly understood that the
work of this office. like that Of many
other divisions of the department, Is
purely educational.
Scientific road building ncccssitatcs
only the consideration of local on
ditious. such rs climate and soil. rain.
fail aud drainage, but also Il study of
available materials adjacent tn the
road. To transport materials u great
distance adds so much to the cost as to
render roads scientifically constructed
of foreign materials impracticablc.
Competent road builders should dis.
cover and test the available materials
and show 10y practical object lessons
how the most good can be- made OF
them with the least possible cxpcndi.
iurc of money and labor. The hest ma.
tcrillS are ~ always discovered. and
thousands of dollars are wasted In this
country annually 10y the use of poor
materials where II little expert study
and advice would have developed good
materials close at hand. The hest
methods of using these materials are
oftcntimrs unknown. and money Is
wasted in their improper application.
All these things require scientific study
and investigation. The people of the
country are now Interested In this mat.
ter as never before, and they are de.
handing and are sorcly in need of NJ
thcntic information along these lines.
Furthcrforc, this is a work which the
Government can do for them much bet
ter and more economically than they
can do for themselves.
after having considered All letters.
requests and resolutions which have
come to the department. and after con
sulting and corresponding with many
of The most prominent farmers ana
road advocates throughout the country
! have the honor to recommend that
Congress be asked to increase the ap.
preparation for this Office for the next
fiscal year to $4,000. IL this increase
is granted. | would recommend that
there be devoted. Professionally, to in
designations and educational work,
$1,000 in each of the States and Terri
tories, and that the balance he used in
%dcfraying the cunning expenses of this
office and road material laboratory.
The necessity of %furthering the work
OF this laboratory Is felt all over the
country, and mt least $1,000 Is needed
for carrying Oh this branch of the work
for the ncxt fiscal year. The small
sum of $1,000 heretofore allotted To
of the -four divisions of the coun.
try is not sufficient to pay the salary
ana expenses of competent persons.
The department should be able to com
mand the entire time and attention of
those representatives, but In order to
w 'HIS ~ IcaSI S-JVu sUCuIu he SET
apart for each division:
Our small force has been so com
plc,ely occupied with outside work that
the preparation of didactic literature
had To he neglected. This branch of
the work should also receive more at |
%tcntiOn, especially the collection. illus. |
tration. printing and distribution of
practical and scientific information. |
trust, therefore, that you will find 1t
within your power to secure at least
SI5,OW for the use of this office for the |
fiscal year.
when the last report was submitted
there was some doubt as TO whether
we could secure n sufficient number of
trained men 10 carry On extensive in
vcstigations In the various States. but
during the last year the office has de
voted a great deal of attention and
study TO the selection of persons who
are sufficiently skilled 10 %inauguratc
this work. 1t is gratifying TO announce
that We are now prepared greatly to
extend the work of this office, and the
appropriation above mentioned. IL
granted by Congress, win be expended
judiciously and wisely"
49,
An Important Question.
Thnpn 10 IInntx Of l,l..n II. tIn .-,,,, l