The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1903-07-02
GOOD g
g RO 4 d S.
!overnment Construction of Roads.


NJ the United States providing
for the establishment Of Bu-
reau of Public Roads to take charge OF
the survey. planning and construction
cf Sccd roads, outside the limits or
cites and incorporated towns or vii
lagos. which may be petitioned for by
tic authorities in any political division
OF any State. 1t is proposed to appro'
pirate $4,000 for the maintenance or
the office and S2O,OO0,0O0 for the. con-
structioD Of the roads. The limitations
are that the National Government shall
pay one-half the cost of road and the
locality the other half-this half being
divided between State, political suD-dl'
vision County or township and prop
erty owners in any manner determined
hy them, and that no State shall re-
ceive more of the sum appropriated
than the proportion which its popula.
ton bears to the entire population OF
the United States. :.
twenty-five officials and employees
are provided for. the director to receive
$500 q year ard others from $500 tc
s;c9 a year; and "such other officers.
agents and servants as the director
may from time to time require" line
$4,000 appropriated in one section
would scarcely provide for these tWen'
ty-two men and the expenses enumer.
ated, and would fail completely to pro.
vide for q force sufficient to plan the
work and supervise the expenditure OF
:he s2O,OOO.OOO. Fortunately the section
appropriating the latter sum for "co-op'
eration and actual construction" IN
eludes "the maintenance of said Bu'
reau of Public Roads,
The Government has in the past con:
structed public roads, but they were
highways to carry; the traffic between
sections of the country without other
means Of communication, approaches
to Government reservations or of simi:
lar public use. The excuse for the i'm
proyement of rivers and harbors has
always been the service or the develop
ment of national commerce, However
far tic actual practice may have de-
waited from this ideal. This bill, how:
ever; goes to the furthest limit and
leaves it to the Judgment of the direc'
tor of the bureau as to whether the
road fund shall be used in developing
communication by highways between
States or distributed in improving Sec
tions of road entirely local in character
whether largely travelled or not. There
are many who defend the principle OF
the river and harbor improvements
who could not advocate such a bill "foi
the relief of the Treasury Of the United
States" as this.
Were the principle Of the bill to Sc;
cure d majority vote the forfd Of and
the lack of safeguard of expenditure in
this bill would scarcely receive favor
able consideration except in a Legislat
ire composed entirely of "practicap'
politicians: The Bureau Of Public
Roads, under this bill, could readily be
made the place for paying political
lebts and for distributing public pat
:onage to the hungry. There have been
State Legislatures which would pass
this sort of bill, but Congress has never
lone so except in the river and harbol
bill sin it's worst days, which was a
gradual growth from legitimate be-
ginning.-Municipal Engineering.
Crushing Plant For Macada1n Roads!
The cities Of New England are wiser
in their day and generation than are
most other municipalities in the coun
try: They make dollar go further
than the average city: Economy and
prudence may Lave been inherited from
the Puritans, but whatever their source
the example is a good one to follow
Authorities of large and small munich
palities throughout New England fol
years have been noted for their eco
nomical methods in the construction
and maintenance of streets and high
ways. More portable stone crushers
and permanent plants built OF, a larger
scale will be found within New Eng
land territory than any other equa
area in the United States: In Connect
icut and Massachusetts; particularly
the highways have been greatly i'm
proved. For instance, the citSof New
ton has its own crushing plah, which
has been in operation for years, and as
a result not only are the streets of the
city we'll macadamized, but the roads
leading from the city are carefully i'm
! proved. This is made possible by the
economical use of this plant: There is
All abundance Of good trap rock in 8
dtiarry not far from the limits of the
city; at which is installed an up-to-date
plant.
There is no public improvement more
popular today than that connected
with the construction and maintenance
of better highway system. The goo6
work IS being pushed along by many
national, State and town good roads as
sociations. All classes Of people arc
interested i'd the work. the rich and til;
poer, the farmer and laDorer, the bicE
Gle rider and the one who walks; for al
alike can and do appreciate a we'll built
and maintained thoroughfare.
This movement means that the farm
er can transport his produce to market
over q good r6ad'at less expense thar
over d poor road. This is fact which
is being repeatedly demonstrated, ant
a larger number of people are coming
to recognize it as good argument VIII!
the roads should be improved. IT Il
benefits the farmer in this way it can
not fail to benefit every one who uses
the public highways. Therefore, every
municipality should promote the work
by investing in a stone crushing plant