Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-09-17
HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION
EXPERIMENTAL WORK

Preservation md Dust Suppression
Being the Principal Obiect-Trcat-
ment Of Roads and Proportions Of
Ench Individual Application.
From the New England Automobile
Iournal)
In the consideration Of the subject of
highway preservation there are ele
rnents entering into every individual To-
cality or community which cannot be
applied to another and It must not be
understood that there can be arbitrary
rules laid down which can he closely
adhered to. There are recognized prin-
cipl"s of construction and there are ma
terials which have been found to be best
FOR varying purposes, but there are CON
d'tions which might eliminate the use Of
any ono or more OF these. due to one
or several reasons which are obvious to
the casual observer.
The mere matter Of treatment. II we
are to be- governed b. the highest stand
ard, and to ignore all other considera-
lions Is not difficult to determine. That
would moan that with tho one purpose
In mind expense would be secondary and
effects Of prime importance But this is
practically a reversal of conditions and
| T. IS not possible for us to proceed with
ont weighing all the other factors, any
one Of which may be such to make
| II necessary to reverse methods or mod
fly rules that are regarded as being we'll
| established.
| It is not to be supposed that it is al
ways possible for a specified amount Of
money TO obtain the same results be-
cause of the obvious reasons why there
might be variance. and vet It
is not reasonable TO assume
| that the cost of an expert
ment is a proper guide. II Is apparent
that with experienced worlSmen, labor
saving tools and machinery, purchasing
materials in quantities and undertakings
OF considerable proportions. It will be
possible to reduce tho cost 10 on appreC-
liable degree. In fact 1t is reasonably
safe to estimate That saving from 10
/ to % per cent can be made
Those who are interested from the
standpoint Of municipal control should
bear In mind that under any circum-
stances experiment cost is usually high
and often excessive because of the lack
of knowledge in the work and the alb
sence of facilities for performing It. For
this reason It is we'll to regard figures
that have been or will be stated as being
the probable maximum.
| II Is not at this time intended to pre-
sent a series OF indubitable facts which
must be apparent. and which cannot be
otherwise than Of material Information
for those who are not directing their
attention to the general subject Of road
maintenance and dust suppression. The
purpose Is to deal with series Of cx-
| periments conducted In Massa chusetts
under the supervision and direction Of
the office of public roads. United States
department of agriculture. which is di-
rected by Logan Waller Page. In coop
| Grafton with the Massa chusets high
| way commission. These tests were IL In
number and as the work was completed
practically a year since. Il Is possible
| to deal with the subject with some know
ledge OF endurance as well as cost OF
application.
As may be assumed. the work was
performed by the same men and the
supposition Is that there was uniform
ity of method. which has some bearing
as regards cost. Again the locality was
such as to believe the expense repre-
J sents fair value. such as might be
found In other communities IN New Eng
land and the whole work was one In
which there was good foundation for an
average.
CO-OPERATION WITH MAssACHU.
SETS.
II is stated in tho reports Of progress
Of the department, and Il will be noted
that the report deals with progress only
and do not reach conclusions, that the
office Of public roads decided to carry or
Ia series OF experiments during thS sum.
mer OF 1907. for the purpose of determin.
Ing, II possible. the relative value o
the various preparations for preventing
and suppressing dust on road surfaces
and in addition certain crude products
such as oils etc. On the face of tn,
statements made II will be realized tina
II was not wholly MS favorable as Nigh,
=, considered desirable to make all OF
tho trials on one road as no one hiGhwa,
presents all OF the conditions with which
II might b necessary or desirable tc
deal one result sought was the adapt
ability of the use OF each product 10 dif-
ferent situations and circumstances. and
there was. OF course. the advantage OF
practically uniform traffic which may
be regarded as being an offset OF the
disadvantage Of the experimentation be
ing In one section OF a roadway,
TRIALS MOST COMPLETE To DATE
1t Is not unreasonable TO say tina,
these experiments are probably the most
complete ever made in America. The
trials cannot be said by any stretch OF
imagination to be complete. but II Is GER
tain that observation from time to time
IL OF vast Importance, thus rejecting the
endurance of the work under conditions
which can at least be fair for compare
son as may he instanced.
The State had intended TO treat about
20 miles OF road during the year witt
preparations designed TO suppress dust
and yet when the season had concluded
It was found the total was seven and G
half miles of way. or about 10 per cent
for the year There We're various rea
sons for this, one OF which was the oh
servance of an eight-hour law. which
reduced the work 20 per cent. and In
creased the cost 20 per cent. Thes'
facts do not appear in the United States