The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1907-06-06
WHY Roads Are So Poor.


Logan w. Page, director Of the
Office of Public Roads, Department OF
Agriculture, recently submitted to a
Congressional committe a very inter-
ssting summary of the work done
and some reasons for the work done
by that Office. Among other things
It is shown that the aggregate mile
age of the public roads in the United
States is approximately 100000,
aot including Alaska and the island
possessions. The total expenditures
on these in 1904 Appropriated $751;
100000, of which about 15,000,0 900
Or twenty per cent. was applied ito
permanent road work. In spite of
this great outlay only 5.5 per cent. of
the roads are surfaced with stone,
gravel, or other hard material. 1t is
evident, therefore, that enormous
sums of money are annually wasted
In the administration, construction
and maintenance of roads, whereas
the present outlay should, if properly
applied, go far toward providing ade-
quate transportation facilities in the
form of improved roads, which are so
necessary to our comfort and pros
perity.
The United States is far behind
Europe in this character of internal
improvement, while excelling in most
others. The causes may be generally
stated as follows. Imperfect State
laws; inefficient and improper admin
lstration and management of roads;
ignorance on the part of local road
builders of the principles and meth
DDS Of road construction; ignorance
of the qualities essential in road
building materials and lack of facili-
ties for as%certaining such qualities;
lack of sufficient research and expert
mental work to devise changes or i'm
provements in road materials or ex-
isting methods of construction sufi-
cient to meet peculiar conditions, re-
duce cost, or increase efficiency.
The remedies which should logic
ally come from the National Govern
ment may be briefly stated as fol-
lows:
1. General investigation, compari-
son and explanation of existing road
laws in order to provide legislators
with all possible data upon which to
consider improvements in existing
legislation.
2. Investigation Of systems of road
administration and management and
dissemination of the knowledge thus
acquired with a view to the elimina-
ton of the worst features and the
adoption Of the best features in all
parts of the country.
3. The introduction Of proper
methods of construction by familiar
izing local road builders with the
principles and practice essential to
proper road construction and main
tenance.
4. Investigation of quantity, loca-
ton, accessibility and relative value
of road-making materials throughout
the country and comparative tests to
terials possess the essential qualities.
5. Experimental research work on
a sufficiently large scale to cope with
existing conditions and keep pace
with the needs of the country in this
direction.
All the remedies above suggested
are of such character as would be
capable of being realized to the full
est extent only through the National
Government. For the States to carry
on such work would involve a per-
sonnet, equipment and operating ex-
penses by each State almost as great
as would be required of the National
Government, with a great amount Of
duplication in methods and results,
and much confusion owing to con-
f1icting conclusions and recommends
lions. Furthermore, there is ample
precedent for investigation and ex-
detrimental work by the Government
and much contemporary example Of
such governmental activity.
That the work already done by the
National Government along the lines
indicated in the aboVe-suggested rem
edies has not produced greater results
is due to the fact that the appropria-
tions have been small and the facili-
ties necessarily limited. For several
years after the establishment Of the
Office the appropriation remained in
the neighborhood of $4,000 annual
ly. The results achieved by the Of
fee of Public Roads are much more
than commensurate with the facilities
provided by the appropriations OF
Congress, and have followed in gen.
eral the procedure indicated in the
remedies above Observation-Disclosures
Correspondence OF The Automobile.
New Roadbed Material.