Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-08-22
pusTLEss COUNTRY ROADS.
Asphalt Used In Place of mncndam
on New Jersey Highways.

Asphalt Used In Place of Mncndam
on New Jersey Highways.
If the experiments to be conducted
by State Road Commissioner L. c.
Hutchinson of New Jersey turn out
successfully, as he predicts they VIII.
the day of the dustless country road Is
at hand, and automObiling will be
given a boom In New Jersey surpass-
ing even that which its unexcelled
macadam road system has given 1t,
says a dispatch from Trenton, n. J.
Commissioner Hutchinson Will during
the summer experiment with the use
Of asphalt instead Of macadam for
building country roads. Tho roads
built Of this material In the rural dis
tricts will not be Ike the smooth sur
faced street pavement OF the city
streets, but viii resemble the macadam
roads In that they will have small
broken stones for their principal com.
ponent, and these will be bound solidly
together by asphalt This win present
a hard surface from which there will
be no wearing Of small particles to be
whiFled In clouds OF dust In the faces
OF travellers and In the homes Of Dor.
dering residents.
Commissioner Hutchinson's expert
ments have attracted the attention OF
road builders all over the United
States. who are watching the result
with the deepest interest Mr.. Hutch
inson asserts that the asphalt country
road will cost no more than the mae
adam. and that its wearing qualities
viii surpass those OF the material at
present commonly used.
Within the last few months Commits
sioner Hutchinson has been bobblng up
most Unexpectedly at the scenes OF
new road operations in different parts
Of the state. This is the result OF the
recent acquisition by his department
of an automobile, which enables the
commissioner to keep his eye on new
road work much more readily than he
could before. Contractors ard inspect
ors receive no notice OF the commits
sioner's approach, and consequently
any shortcomings of which they may
be guilty In the construction are
quickly exposed to the gaze 0f the OH
eial who has the say In the distribu-
ton of the states road appropriations.
In several counties Commissioner
Hutchinson has pounced down upon
derelict contractors and inspectors, and
he has not hesitated to call the atten-
ton Of boards of freehoIders to the
conditions that he found, and In some
instances he has exercised his authority
Of Withholding the states money until
the work was properly done.
Commissioner Hutchinson Is at pres
ent paying particular attention TO ap-
plications presented to him for new
roads. He insists that only the most
Travelled roads beimproved. and in this
way instead of building roads that will
benefit only a small section he is &C.
comprising the Joining of the chain of
macadam roads crossing the state In
all directions. This encourages auto
MODELLING, and In consequence the state
treasury is enriched the more by the
Increase of the receipts of It's auto
mobile department. The day of the
narrow macadam road, ten and twelve
feet In width. has passed, and Com
missioner Hutchinson now enforces
strictly the rule that he laid down
when he entered upon his offlce-that
no road less than sixteen feet In width
he built In New Jersey.