Washington State journal. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1907-1911, 1907-12-19
ROAD IMPROVEMENT
WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED IN
RHODE ISLAND.

Fine Highways Have Been Built In
Every Section of the state With
Good Results-The Repair and Care
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 he built Il net
work of thoroughly up to date and sub
stantial roads. not extravagant, not
cheap. but a system where mt a mini
mum of expenditure. yet conserving
every qualification of utility and wear
ing quality, there should he service
for every part of the state Roads
have been built in every section of the
state to the furtherance of its social.
moral and intellectual interests, and
there is not one part of it that has not
felt 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 r3al value of such roads to
the ordinary business and commercial
life of the day. Surely it is the best
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
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 bond issue Is
one Oh 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 none where
a 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. mas
much as the future is to reap as much
II not more of the harvest OF utility
and Is to receive equal benefit. 1t Is on.
ly fair that it should pay 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 il a mistaken idea that a
macadam road. once laid. needs no fur
Their attention On the contrary. to
preserve its fundamental structure 1t
should be cared for continually. The
value Of a macadam road does not lie
in the fact that II 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 he obliged
to return to II. Repairs should not be
left to outside control which at best
would be irregular. spasmOdc and I'M
satisfactory. The causes Of disintegra-
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
r0adbed will not wear alike in all
places. Were II so there would be
needed only the occasional extensive
reconstruction. II breaks in patches,
and the mending process is therefore
constantly necessary.
During the year 1905 contracts were
awarded for the construction of o2Os
miles Of macadam road, to be built up.
on the highways included in the plan
OF improvement as adopted by the gen
eral assembly. making total Of fifty
seven miles Of macadam road complet
ell since the present plan Of improve
ment.
Now that the electors of the state
have voted to authorize the expendi
ture for this public improvement it Is
but reasonable to presume that they
desire and expect to have the use OF
these improved roads as soon as they
can be judIciOusly and economically
built We believe, however. 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
entific road building on the scale now
being done by the state. like every
other large building enterprise. re
Quires adequate time as well as money
for its proper completion.