The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1906-10-24
ROAD IMPROVEMENT
WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED IN
RHODE ISLAND.
Fine Highways Have Been Built In
Every Section of the state with
Good ResuIts-The Repair and. Cnre

Every section of the State with
Of Roads.
Much has been done in Rhode Island
to improve the highways during the
past four years, and there has been "A
popular demand of the people of the
state that there should be built a net
work of thoroughly up to date and sub
stlntial roads, not extravagant, not
cheap, but II system where at a mini
mum of expenditure, yet conserving
every qualification of utility and wear
ing quality, there should be a service
for every part of the state. Roads
have been built in every section of the
tate to the furtherance of its social,
moral and intellectual interests, and
,lere is not one part of it that has not
se,t The rebound.
In describing the work done the
fourth annual report of the state board
Of public roads of Rhode Island says:
From every side there goes up the
plea for better highways and improved
roads, and it is being answered not in
the spirit of mere enthusiasm, but out
Of cold hard sense, for men are coming
to see the real value of such roads to
the ordinary business and commercial
nc, - tha In,v G,,e,l, it To tln hagf
public policy for the state to keep its
highways, its feeders of life and com
merce, in the best possible state Of
preservation, for the more compact the
life of the community the more neces-
Sary do improved, well laid, well kept
roads become.
The popular movement for good
roads, according to the very nature of
the problem, cannot be localized. There
fore the question of a bond issue Is
one that touches the whole state and
one on which the whole state should be
heard. There is no question of the ex-
penditure of public money which Is
more vital than this, and o m where
n greater number Are benefited. Roads
cannot in any sense be considered sec
tional or built for the accommodation
of the few. On the other hand, lnas.
much as the future Is to reap as much
If not more of the harvest Of utility
and is to receive equal benefit, it Is on.
ly fair that 1t should pay a proportion
ate part Of the expenses.
The repair Of the roads Is Of vital i'm
port. 1t means the saving of the time,
money and engineering skill which
have already been invested. 1t Is a
question of waste against that of
economy. 1t is n mistaken idea that n
macadam road, nee laid, needs no fur
preserve Its fundamental structure it
should be cared for continually. The
value of a mucadam road does not lie
in the fact that It Is never going to
wear out, but In the regulation Of
grade, the hardened roadbed, the char
acter OF drainage that 1t gives.
The engineering force can make the
necessary repairs to better advantage
while at work upon the section being
extended than should they be obliged
to return to 1t. Repairs should not be
left to outside control, which at best
would be irregular, spasmOdic and un-
satisfactory. The causes of dlslntegra-
ton are not altogether travel and
usage. There are also those of atmos-
pheric and climatic conditions, those
due to the nature Of the stone of which
the road was primarily constructed. A
roadbed will not Wear alike in all
places. Were it so there would be
needed only the occasional extensive
reconstruction. 1t b;ea!;s in patches,
and the mending p.)ccss is therefore
constantly necessar.'.
During the year 1905 contracts were
awarded for the construction of 22.O8
miles Of macadari rad, to be built up
on the highways H.; .rlded in the plan
u improvement as = opted by the gen
cal assembly, making n total of fifty
even miles of maca am road complet-
ell since the present plan of improve
lent.
Now that the ele )rs of the state
have voted to aus,i,'ige the expendi-
IRE for this public ?provement 1t is
b-t reasonable t. i ,sume that they
csire and expect 1, have the use of
these improved ro"r; - soon as they
c.a be jul.c.J:s!y nd economically
blk. We belize. !:Dycyer, that they
would not approve OF an undue haste
IN the work, which would result in
roads Of an inferior quality or Of an
unnecessary cost Of construction. Sci
entifc road building on the scale now
being done by the state, like every
other large building enterprise, re-
qulres adequate time as well as money
for Its proper completion.