Arizona republican., 1904-06-06
THE CHECKER BOARD
Defects of the Western
 Road System
In the National GO0d Roads Plan an Effort Will be Made to Remedy Them.

Washington, June 5.-In most parts surveyed and laid off into sections, halves and quarters the public roads have been established on the section lines. These roads consequently run either north and south or east and west, crossing at right angles. This method of locating roads is sometimes called the checker board system" and the term is quite appropriate. In some states the road laws contemplate the establishing of road on every section line. so they will be only one mile apart. but not nearly all these roads have been actually opened.
 | in comparison with the system, or l lack of system, which prevails in the older settled states of the east and south. this checker board system has some advantages. The roads are not left to be located at hap-hazard, or on crooked farm boundaries or according to the whims or selfish interests of ;hc Iocators The order and mathematical regularity of the system naturally ap- peals to the minds of those who read about these roads or study them on maps but to those who actually travel them, their location appears to be very short of ideal perfection. In fact the system involves two very grave defects. If a man wishes to travel directly north, south, east or west, these roads take him by the shortest possible route. But a large majority of the people wish to travel in other directions. Let us suppose man lives exactly ten miles northwest from his county seat. In order to reach it he must travel seven miles south and seven miles east or fourteen miles in all Thus la large majority of travellers sui fer a hardship in the matter of Gis- tance.
 But the second defect in the system is far graver.- The mathematical pre- cision with which these roads are b. cated carries them across hills and ho,- lows without any regard to economy in the matter Of grades. Where the Coun- try is perfectly level there is no diff culty; where it is rolling the roads can only be improved at a heavy cost in making cuts and fills; where there are steep hills and deep ravines to cross the system is wholly impracticable Doubtless one of the first benefits
 that will follow the adoption of the
 national aid plan will be the modified
 ton of this system so as to remedy these defects in a large measure. Nat
 Urally the first roads to be improved F. county will be those leading direct
 ly north, south. east and west from the
 county seat Then main roads or ave- = nues leading northeast. northwest
 southeast and southwest from th, county seat should be opened and ir- proved. Thus the first defect will D,
 largely eliminated.
 The second defect pointed out car
 only be cured by departing from tn,
 section lines where the lay of the Ian,
 makes it economical to do so. CnIe
 national and state aid competent en.
 gineers will be employed Jo correc Q errors of location so as to increase tn, I usefulness of the roads and at th.
 same time reduce their cost.
 The sentiment for national aid i L making great headway in parts O L the country In Nebraska the legisla
 ture has declared in favor of it. Severa
 members of congress from Missouri ar
 outspoken advocates of the plan. h Illinois a state commission has beei appointed to investigate and report ol II national aid. In number of othe
 states definite action will probably b
 taken in the near future.