Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1904-02-12
THE ROAD
IMPROVEMENT
How Good Highways May Be
Built at Small
Expense

The first step in the direction of good
roads is agitation; not the kind of agi-
tation that bubbles up and sputters for
u few weeks out of the fifty-two, like a
lamp with poor oil and a short wick,
but the kind that keeps everlastingly at
1t and eventually leads to success, says
writer in Good Roads Magazine.
Agitation is the first step, but n is not,
as many seem to think. the last. II
Is all right to set us thinking, but if
it does not set us to doing it will have
failed of its purpose.
In this practical world something
cannot be had for nothing. A good
road Is like good horse or good
farm-it costs something. But there
is no reason why a few miles Of good
roads should cost fabulous sum. The
kind OF roads that will here be sug-
gested are not fancy roads. They do
not cost from $1,000 to $4,000 a mile,
and under ordinary circumstances II
should not be necessary to raise the
taxes TO obtain them. But the objec-
ton may be raised that in most towns
and townships there Is no money at
all to spare for permanent road con-
struction; that every dollar Of tax rails
ed Is needed for the necessary repairs
to rouds and bridges. To answer this
objection 1t may be stated that usually
there Is a wide difference between the
amount that Is spent for road repairs
and what 1t is absolutely necessary to
spend. II twice as much tax were
raised 1t would not be difficult mat
ter in most communities to find place
| for 1t. whereas IL only half the regular
amount were raised the roads would
probably be no worse than they now
are,
! In order to bring this argument down
| to working basis let us assume that
| the tax available for road purposes in n
! certain town amounts to $4,000 per an,
mum. We will suppose that by practic-
Ing rigid economy but one-half of this
amount is expended for the ordinary
repairs to roads and bridges, thus leav.
ing $1,000 for permanent work. We
have now solved Il part of the problem.
and, having some money, the next
! question is how ii shall be used. En-
perienee has shown that improved road
! machinery is the very beginning OF
| practical road work and that it is not
| economy 10 attempt to get along with
| out first class road building appliances,
! No town has money To waste in road
| hulldiRg, but large majority of the
! towns throughout the east have plenty
/ Of good material that can be used for
| the asking. and with an outfit of mod
! ern machinery this material can easily
| be converted into roof or covering for
! the dirt roads. The very first step
| therefore. after the money question has
| been settled is the purchase of porIa
Bile crushing outfit and road roller. II
an engine can be hired ut reasonable
figure to drive the rock crusher. so
much the better; IL not, good engine
should be purchased.
What man has done man can 90
again. and experience has shown that
good roads can be built by farmers at
an expense so small as TO make il in
excusable for any community to longer
delay the work of permanent road
building. In the town of Canandaigua.
Ontario county, n. Y. several miles OF
stone roads are being built each year at
cost of from $1,000 TO 81. 200 per mile
This work has been in progress for
over ten years, with the result that the
town is now gridironed with good hard
roads. and the farmers OF that section