The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-09-29

N. 0. Eldridge of Washing
ton D. c. Makes an aUn-
official Visit to Web
foot

ington, ID. C., assistant director of the
the office of Public Road inquiries. re-
garding the coming meeting OF the
State Good Roads Convention. He
suggests that the meeting in Oregon
be held earlier than that announced.
namely, the first week in November
The Good Roads Convention In Spo-
kane is set for October Sth TO 10th,
and Mr.. Eldrdge writes that Hon. Jas.
II. Mcdonald state highway commits
sioner of Connecticut. and Hon. ]. b..
Killebrew, OF Nashville. Tenn, will
attend tho meeting. and the depart
ment will be represented by Mr.. James
w. Abbott and Mr. Eldridge He sug-
gests that the date OF the Oregon con.
ventlon be set for the middle OF this
month. when these Eastern visitors
would be able 10 attend, and some Of
them would be Of great assistance to
the Oregon members. Judge Scott, in
order to see II the date OF the Oregon
convention cannot be changed, Is now
In consultation with the secretary OF
the state association. and. II II is pos
sible to change the date. this will be
done. in order to secure the presence
of these Eastern good roads men.
For the last ten years the question
OF good road Improvement has received
good deal OF attention from the leg
islators in the Eastern states, notably
in Massachusetts, and New Jersey.
Careful study OF the road question in
these states soon developed the fact
that the counties and towns we're do
ing little. and. in many cases. moth.
ing. and the roads were gradually be.
coming worse instead OF botter. In
Massachusetts, the idea was first con.
ceiyed OF having the state and civil
subdivisions thereof cooperate In the
Improvement OF the roads. A state
law embodylng this principle was
adopted in New Jersey about the same
! timo as In Massachusetts,. and for the
last ten years remarkable progress
has been made In these two states
Indeed the principle OF state aid has
become so popular within the last few
years that this same principle has
been enacted into law in the states of
Maine, New Hampshire. Vermont
Rhode Island. Connecticut, New York,
Delaware and Pennsylvania, and the
idea is being carefully considered by
the legislatures OF many OF the South
ern and Western stated.
Mr.. NJ. o. Eldridge. assistant direc.
tor, once OF Public Road Inquiries of
the United States department OF agri.
culture, recently made an inspection
trip through the states OF Maine
Massachusetts, Rhode Island. Connec-
ticut and New York. In an interview
MIR. Eldridgo had the following to say
In regard to the road conditions in
those states:
Il am fully convinced from my re.
cent trip that the roads which have
been built in the East through the aid
OF the states and under the direction
OF highway commissions are the best
roads in the United States, and are
equal, II not superior, TO the best
roads in the world. This is due 20 the
fact that these roads have been built
under intelligent supervision, by skill.
ful workmen, out OF the very best ma.
terials. and with American road-bulld-
ing machinery; whereas, most OF the
roads that ] have seen in the old coun.
try wero built by hand, and have
since been maintained In the same
way. In spite OF the long drought
which prevailed throughout the New
England states during the spring md
summer the state roads were firm and
smooth. and although I personally in.
spected over 500 miles Of improved
roads | did not see a single one which
had rayeled. or which had signs Of
wear from the recent dry weather. In
the southeastern part OF Massachu-
sets and along Cape Cod Bay. and in
the southern part OF Connecticut, the
old roads were composed entirely Of
sand, but in spite OF the dry weather
the state roads built on these land
foundations are remarkably hard and
smooth"
Mr. Eldridge was asked II he thought
that the people OF the Eastern states.
who had already built some good
roads. and who have organized TO con
tinue the work along the present lines.
would be willing 10 accept assistance
from the general government In build.