The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-09-12
Il Good Roads. 3
Roads and Antomohiles.


man, the Commissioner of Parks,
about the deslrability of excluding
automobiles from Central Park have
wider and more important sugges-
ton than that concerning this city's
great pleasure ground. Taken lit
orally, his plan is, of course, incap-
able of fulfilment. The automobile
has unquestionably come to stay"
and II Is now In so general use and Is
vehicle of utility and pleasure to
SO large a part OF the community
that there can be no restriction of
its employment within the limits pre-
scribed In comparable circumstances
for other vehicles. In some cases II
Is no doubt offensive, as when It is
driven carelessly or viciously. at
dangerous speed, without giving q
due share of the road to other vehi-
cles, or accompanied with an ear dis
tresslng racket, a cloud OF smoke or
stencil of gasolene. But then
horses are also offensive when they
run away or get blind staggers or
are driven by raucous voiced and
hog hammered sports" We must
trust to the progress of civilization
and the vigilant energies of the po-
lice to minimize such evils, whether
in motoring, horse driving, bicycling
or walking.
The impairment of roads by auto
mobiles is, however, a pertinent and
highly important consideration, not
only in Central Park but all over the
country, for there is scarcely an i'm
proved" road anywhere which is
much travelled that has not suffered
from the extraordinary wear and
tear of automobiles. The reason Is
perfectly plain. The roads were not
built for such trafIlc. Telford and
macadam roads were not designed for
automobiles. They were designed for
vehicles which would be light IL swift
and slow If heavy, and which in Ell
ther case would move upon wheels
with smooth tires. They were and
are admirably adapted to the use of
a buggy Weighing two hundred
pounds, even at a 2.30 pace, or of a
load of. hay at foot pace, even If 1t
weighs a couple of tons. But here
are vehicles as heavy as the load of
hay moving as swiftly as the buggy.
Worse than that, the automobile has,
instead of smooth tires, which would
serve as rollers to smooth the road,
wheels shod with chains or spikes
designed expressly to cut into and
tear the surface of the road.
Obviously the destruction of the
roads by such vehicles is a great evil
which cannot be permanently toler-
ated. We should say, however, that
it is most properly to be abated not
by excluding the vehicles from the
roads, but by adapting either the ve-
hicles to the roads or the roads to
the vehicles. Perhaps, indeed, both
these courses should be pursued. In
our city parks the vehicles might be
required to adapt themselves to the
roads. No automobile would ma
terially hurt well made park road
If 1t were not driven too fast, even
if it were shod with chains or spikes
All that is needed, in brief, is that
automobiles in the parks shall be
reasonably driven, as other vehicles
are, to obviate their doing any more
harm to the roads than other vehicles
do. The great majority of automo-
biles are, we believe, thus managed.
The damage to the roads is chiefly
done by a comparatively few care
less or lawless drivers.
The other solution of the prob
lem, the adaptation of the roads to
the vehicles, may well be applied else
where. The work of road improve
ment is now being extensively per-
formed all over this State. 1t would
be a great mistake to do it now as it
was done a score of years ago. The
road which was good enough for the
buggy and the load of hay will not
do for a vehicle which carries on
chain girt wheels the load of the lat
ter at the speed of the former. These
changed conditions of traffic should
be realized and the plan of construc-
tion of the new roads. at any rate on
all main travelled roads," should be
so modified as to meet these condi-
tions, and so as to be adapted to the
new and far more formidable type
of vehicle. That will no doubt be
an expensive thing, but it will be
far less expensive in the end than to
have them ruined and need to be
rebuilt every year.-Edltorial in the
New York Tribune.