Los Angeles herald., 1907-11-03
HIGHWAY BOARDS REQUEST
ANSWERED
CONSUL FURNISHES THOROUGH
REPORT
r. p. skinner>of MarseiIIes Explains
MInuteIy Administrative System.
Plan Fostered by Napoleon
ls Maintained

system of roads in that California county,
Consul General R. P. Skinner of Mar
settles suggests that the experience of
France is valuable in showing what the
naturalization Of highways can do for the
entire population. His report says:
''It is generally recognized, think, that
the best and most complete road system
in the world Is to be found in this coun-
try, where it stands as an enduring mo1-
ument to the administrative greatness Of
Napoleon. French roads are good, not be-
cause of any superiority of raw materials.
as the same materials exist everywhere;
they are not good because Of any special
talent for road building, as the formula
was furnished by an Englishman, and
some roads just as fine may be seen in
parts of the United States. The real
superiority of the French highway sys-
tenn Is attributable to the fact that 1t Is
under the constant intelligent supervision
of an army of trained men, who discover
within the organization opportunities for
advancement and professional distinction
which no mere county administration car
offer.
Administrative System
''The proof of this assertion may be
found in France itself. If this country
has wonderful network of great arteries
of general communication called national
routes there Is also in every department
or county a system of local roads con-
Meeting the small towns and villages, built
and maintained by the local governments,
and very inferior to the national routes.
The construction and maintenance of the
local roads are affected by the same in-
fortunate influences which ordinarily at
tach to county effort in America, but In
less no iceabe degree. The French road
type is therefore the broad and smooth
national route, upon which In rolling
country one good draft horse is expected
to be able to travel thirty kilometers
dS.64 miles) per day, hauling a load of
1900 kilos (3306 pounds. Public opinion
requires that the local highways be kept
in sufficient good condition not to inter-
fere with the horse power efficiency here
indicated.
'"The basis of the French highway ad-
ministrative system is the Ecole des
Points ct Chaussees (school of bridges and
roads,, one of the finest technical schools
in the world and, like all other French
educational systems of Importance, state
affair. 1t Is intended to form the en-
gineers who afterward take positions in
the highway administrative system. Or
dinary students are also accepted and are
graduated with the doploma Of civil en-
gineer. The course of study last three
years and instruction is gratuitous.
"The highway hierarchy in France is
thus organized:
"Q. Inspector general of bridges anc
highways.
"(2). Chief engineers charged with the
work of the single departments or COM
munes.
"(3). Ordinary engineers charged with
the work of single ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
40. Under engineers, who may be com
pared to commissioned officers in the
army, the grade being open to principal
conductors and who have reached this
grade, are charged with the work of single
ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
"(5). Principal conductors charged with
the service of the subdivision.
"(6). Ordinary conductors this cate
cory comprises several grades) charged
with the service of subdivision.
go. Piqueurs, who are foremen of con
struction gangs.
"(s). Clerks, employed at headquarters.
"(9). Cantonniers, each having from
four to seven kilometers of highway under
his immediate supervision.
This vast and apparently complicated
machine directs the building and main
tenance of both national and local roads.
The national government cooperating
with the local governments under certain
circumstances, has charge Of the hy'-
draulic works of France-that is to say,
the supervision and erection of sea and
river walls, ports etc., and exercises sur
veillance over rivers and railroads.
Sectional Division of Work
''The point of departure in this system
begins with the modest cantonnier, who
lives on the line of his Jurisdiction, and
is responsible for the maintenance of his
section of road at all times. He keeps
the bitches open, carefully fills holes and
re- hrol Wv on q r. O.
covered, removes dust and deposits of
sand and earth after heavy rains, trims
the trees and bushes, and when citizens
furnish labor in payment of their road
tax directs their work When ordinary
work is impossible the cantonnier breaks
stone and transports 1t to points where it
is likely to be needed. He is expected to
bring the attention of his chief to any
condition requiring special attention, and
is the man on the spot in every
emergency
Building French Road
"a national route in France, like rail-
road, must first be declared necessary by
a special law. At the present time COM
paratively few new national routes are
being added to a system that is already
old and complete. Estimates are prepared
when new work is contemplated and the
execution is let by contract. A standard
roadway in this country is much simpler
than is commonly supposed Experience
has demonstrated that profound founda-
tions and other expensive construction are
far less important than careful drainage
system. and in providing this, French
methods particularly excel. standard
roadway in France consists of what the
engineers call a box of earth, into which
is deposited the hard material of the road
surface proper. This 'encaissement,' rs
it is called is carefully shaped and
rammed, the sides or driftways being
wide enough to- hold the hard material in
place, and incidentally to serve as foot
paths. On each side of the driftway runs
ditch, unless the special conformation
of the land renders ditch unnecessary.
In all cases the drainage scheme must be
such that the Dad surface receives only
it's own rainfall.
'The national routes are divided into
three classes, having 4593 39.37 and $3.50
feet width respectively. In exceptional
cases they are 65. 81 feet in width, but only
near large cities. Within the road box,
when 1t has been rammed and convexel,
is finally deposited the surfacing material
of crushed stone, each stone being small
enough to pass through a ring of six
centimeters (236 inches) diameter The
depth of the crushed stone, when rolled.
should he twenty centimeters C7.S7 inches).