The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-08-03

construction and maintenance of good
roads, by the appropriation of public
inently successful. The people realize
the advantage they gain from these
undertakings, and are more than will
ing to pay the taxes necessary to meet
the bounties of the different states.
They find their return is reduced cost
of transportation, easy travelling, bust
ness facilitated, free rural postal de-
livery made practical, the value of
land increased, the attendance of the
school and church noticeably enlarged
and the rural communities elevated to
higher level in the scale or civiliza-
ton. a s.-s ss-ss1>ss-l
~. Why Americans Fail.
Americans make the mistake in road
buildingsof studying the question sole
ly from a physical and constructive
standpoint -rather-tlla from one of or
ganization and systematic operation.
Where we have bad roads we are dis
posed to- criticise them from a con-
StructiVe standpoint. If a road fails
we say that9it is. because it not we'll
built; because the right material was
not used.@tS In this our view is super
hc1al. Organization, system, constant
and uninterrupted care, a vigilant road
patrol are required for the purpose Of
Immediately detecting and remedying
the slightest defect. The cheapest way
to care for road is by never allowing
1t to get into a bad condition; by never
allowing it to deteriorate in the least
A road properly cared for gets better
every year. = 1t improves constantly.
This is the way to make a road The
most systematic, the most economical,
the most painstaking road builders are
the French. They have better roads,
at a less cost, than any other nation.
Their results are IDEAL both from the
standpoint of cost and the character of
the roads. They are a people heavily
burdened with taxation. With them
economy is necessary; it is the saving
born of necessity. 1t is the kind of
economy that, among other things, de-
velops the perfect roadway.
Constant Care Necessary.
What is it's method? Constant and
systematic inspection and care. Mem
orandum for the Road Viewer" is a
book of about $50 pages, and contains
detailed instruction for the care of
roadways in France. 1t provides for
regular and systematic patrol of the
roads and works connected Herewith,
viz: Bridges, culverts, bitches, drains
and their dependencies. In France
most of the roads have been made of
macadam, though many are of cobble-
stones, particularly in the northern
part of France.
In the south most of the roads are
macadam, and are altogether pleasant
er and more satisfactory for general
travel. During all the time of their ex-
istence they have been subject to con-
slant inspection and repair as soon as
the slightest defect has shown itself.
One man with horse and cart can
care for many miles of roadway when
he has nothing else to do, and when
he undertakes the work before the i'm
perfection is great. When we wait for
our roadways to be cut to pieces, to
reach an almost impossible stage be-
fore we do anything for them, the work
of repair is laborious and expensive
With constant inspection there is re-
quired only a few shovelfuls of broken
stone for each little defect. In France
all roads are again subject to the gen.
eral inspeetion~of a general road Off
Ger, who holds his subordinates re-
sponsible for results, and makes re-
ports upon the improvement of bridges,
drainage and affairs of this character.
Any defect, of however slight a char
acter in any roadway comes about