The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-08-03
TALK OF GOOD ROADS.
Colonel Richardson Gives Kansas
Convention Many Pointers.


Colonel r. w. Richardson, secretary
of the National Good Roads associa-
ton. made what might be termed "a
spell-binding good roads speech" to
the Kansas State Good Roads conven-
ton at the Commercial club rooms on
Tuesday night. The seventy-five dele
gates who occupied seats in the cham
beers punctuated Colonel Richardson s
speech with enthusiastic applause
Good roads must be founded as
firmly as a mans character II ne
wants good results therefrom, was
the keynote of Colonel Richardson's
speech. you must build well, you
must build deeply, you must build
for days to come. You must care Tor
q road everyday-and must never go
away to let it take care of itself 1t
must be nurtured into strength, sohd-
fly and firmness and then it Will last
like a great and good character
The speaker gave technical out
line of the best method of building
a road. BE sure" he said. of get
ting q good BERN or emban kment on
both sides to serve as walls Tor tnS
bed. Make the bed into an oval
shape. considerably higher in the cen
ter. Before spreading either rock or
gravel, roll firmly. The roller VIII
md all of the weak places, and then
these can be filled uD. If this is done
COnEClenIlOuElJr
wards be no breaking down of the
concrete. 1t is mistake to make the
road too thick. While 1t does no
harm, it is an absolute waste of ma
teriaI. I was surprised when down
at Fort Scott to find that the road
there was being made eighteen inches
in thickness. The majority of the
roads are now being made only nine
inches in thickness while many are
being made not more than six inches
fc
Make six inches Of roadbed properly
and it is better than 16 or is inches
poorly constructed any time. Let me
plead with YOU to get experts to build
your macadam roads. Get men who
know their business. Spend your
money properly at the start and then
you will have no trouble.
Now there are two ways of paying
for a road, by the voting of bonds ana
by direct taxation. While 1 do not want
to arbitrarily advise following the for
mer It has big advantages, and the
principal one is that it makes money
available at once. Then too. it must be
remembered, that in the building of
road, it should not all be laid upon the
farmer. That is unfair and unjust and
is a burden to him. Besides the value !
of a good road is apparent to man |
living in town just as well as one HV- |
ing in the country, in fact 1T AFFECTS /
the city man more acutely. "A farmer /
can practically come to the city when |
provisions to supply him for his imme-
date needs and can wait for clear skies
and better roads. But the man in the |
city who deals in farm products and /
many do, must turn his money quickly
He must sell his goods in their season.
Margins are small and quantity de-
termines his wealth. Therefore it must
not be forgotten that the merchant in
the city should feel it is just as incum
bent upon himself to see that the roads
In the country are good, as the farmer
who must always use them to get to
town.
Don't forget another thing" said
Colonel Richardson, when you go to
Ia wing out a road, don't forget that you
nave a right of eminent domain TO
,hoose the route of the highway. A
you ever see their engineers just take
4 line and follow it regardless of the
natural advantages. But that is done in
section line roads. Just because the
and is measured off in a certain way
he road must follow it, not because
Of any law or reason, but because of
,ustom. You have the right of ennin
INT domain to choose the line which
Dad shall follow and when you build
new one, remember that"
Before the evening session the good
readers took an automobile ride of
4 bout IL miles. Fifteen cars were ready
at the Copeland hotel at Z o'clock. A
lying trip was made to the asylum.
hen south to Washburn college -
back to the city on the Washburn col
ege-Huntoon street drive.
In the afternoon the speech of ex-
Governor Click was a feature. He urged
he payment of road tax in cash, in
stead of working it out, and then the
use of the money in good ways under
expert direction for the building of ;
highways.
Mrs. Walter Bates, representing the
West Side Forestry club spoke on this
subject: Women Talk Good Roads,"
Mrs. w. A. Johnston also spoke on the
same subject. President E r. Nichols
IF the State Agricultural college urged
he adoption of wide tires. City Engi-
leer James McCabe spoke about Kan
sas Pavements and Paving Materials"
:. F. Miller of Fort Scott, secretary of
he Southeastern Kansas Good Roads
association made an categorical talk on
The Wheels of Progress"