The aegis & intelligencer., 1904-06-24
GOOD ROADS.

Government, which has lately cstab,
lished a good roads bureau, at the
head of which is Mr.. Martin X.
Dodge. 1t will be remembered that
he delivered an address before the
Deer Greek Farmers Club at n meet
ing held in Bel Air about two years
ago. Even in the short space OF time
that has intervened since then, the
subject has taken rapid strides and
our people are daily becoming more
interested in this popular topic. This
interest is manifesting itself in the
practical way of offering donations
towards the building of better roads,
In this connection it is we'll that our
farmers urge the State Road Depart.
ment to rush a test case respecting
the constitutionality of the Shoe.
maker law, which was passed at the
last session of the Legislature. The
appropriations under this law will
not become available until after the
first of next January, but, as has
been urged, it is we'll that every pre-.
lininary be speedily disposed of SO
that the work can 60 on without in
terruption as soon as the money be.
comes available.
1t is said that a satisfactory road
eighteen feet wide, built exclusively
of stone, can be made for $4,000 to
$4,000 per mile. This is what is
known as the macadam road. More
costly is the Telford road, which runs
from $4,000 to $4,000 per mile.
Both are named after Scotchmen
| who devised the systems. The ma.
cadam road consists of a deep foun-
dation of large stones laid as smooth,
ly together as possible, the founda.
tion stones being of nearly uniform
size. Alayer of smaller crushed stone
is placed over the foundation and
rolled down, binding the two to,
gether. Then come succeeding layers
of crushed stone, each being smaller
than its predecessor, over which the
roller has passed. The whole settles
itself into compact mass almost as
smooth as a flag stone, from which
the water should run as soon as it
falls. The Telford road, which is
used where the bottomis swampy, is
more expensive because of the care
required to be used in placing the
foundation stone. They are of uni.
form size and are laid with the ends
uppermost like so many bricks set
up on the edge. These are bound to-
gether by smaller stones, and the only
difference between the two roads is
i'll the foundation. The Telford road
is said to be the most substantial
that can be built.
In building good roads New Jersey
has long been the foremost State
Trap rock, probably the best kind oi
material for this work, is found in
abundance, and experience gained
for many years has resulted in bring.
ing the cost down to a minimum
The average cost is now about fifty
cents per square yard. Where gravel
has been entirely used the cost has
gone down to as low as 81 900 per
mile. No doubt location has great
effect i'll the price of road building.
For instance, it is said that work
that could be done for $4,000 per
mile in New Jersey will cost $4,000
in Massachusetts,; however, the Mas.
sachusetts roads are said to be con,
structed in the most durable manner
A number of states are cheapening
the expenses of improving the roads
by the employment of convict labor.
Among them are Tennessee, Georgia,
North Carolina, Delaware, Iowa,
New Jersey, New York, Indiana Ohio,
Kentucky and Michigan. This limo,
vation reduces the cost to about one.
half AS matter of course this ap-
peals to the taxpayer, and it is more
than probable that other states will
soon follow in line. In Oneida county,
New York, a macadam road a mile
long was built by prisoners at a cost
of 25 cents per capita per day for la
bor. The county furnished the stone
crusher, the steam roller and the
wagons used for hauling the stone.
The standard specifications of the
State in road building were adopted
and the work was performed under
the supervision Of the path master of
the district. 1t was one of the most
costly of macadam roads and by pri-
vate contract the expense would
have been about $4,000 per mile.
With convict labor the cost was only
81, 500. Of course, it makes a big
difference whether laborers are paid
$1.25 or % cents per day. 1t is said
that if convict labor was used to
operate stone quarries and crushers,
a further saving of from $500 to
81 900 per mile would result.
In Georgia, many miles of maca-
dam roads have been built for less
than $4,000 per mile. In Tennessee,
where some counties own the road
making machinery, with the use of
convict labor serviceable roads have
been built for $225 per mile. Cali
fornia has long employed convicts in
this work and the saving has been at
least fifty per cent.