The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-06-16
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT NAMES
ROAD CONGRESS- COMMISSION
Logan Waller Page, Director Of the
ofics Of Public Roads, Colonel
Chas. .. Bromwell, U. 3. Corps
Engineers, and Clifford Rich
ardsen. Will Represent ths
United States.


scntcd mt the Good Roads Congress
to be held at Paris the week begin
ming October II, and credentials have
been issued naming Logan Waller
Page, director Of the Office Of public
roads of the United States depart
mcnt OF agriculture, chairman Of the
commission. The other members nam
cd are Colonel Charles S. Bromwcll.
OF the United States corps Of en-
gincrrS, now serving as S,lpcrintcnd-
cnt OF Buildings and grounds Of the
District of Columbia. and Clifford
Richardson. Of Now York. an cmin-
cnt chemist and one Of the world $
acknowledged authorities on bitum-
nous road building materials.
This c"min" congress. which will
be attended by distinguished dele
gates from every country i'm the
world, is regarded by highway en-
"lnr"rS and experts as probably the
most imp"rtHnt ever summoned for
the discussion Of an economic uucs-
ton. It's need is the direct oufrrowth
OF TN" advent Of the automobile, for
while thousands arc ignorant Of the
Fact. the soft tires OF the modern mo-
tor ear are the greatest menace the
hard surface thoroughfarcs Of the
world have ever been called upon to
face. To understand how a pncuma-
tic fire made Of rubber could posi-
bly, iniurc Il road surface with par
tlrlrS of crushed rock, one must have
ut least faint understanding Of the
theories ON which first Trcsaugct Of
Limoges and the MacAdam Of Ayr
built that class Of highway. They
figured that road built of crushed
stone would not only endure the con-
stant traffic Of iron-tircd vehicles,
bnt would improve because the me-
tal-bounh wheels would be constant
lv crushing the stones and forming
rock dust. That dust would. they ar.
gurd. moi merely sift itself into all
cracks and intcrsii"es. but would fill
all surface inequalities and when wet
would be rolled into smooth, i'm
pcrvious, understanding, shcll-likc
surface.
They reasoned we'll, built wisely,
and for over a century and quar-.
ter the s"-rallrd macadam road did
everything that the famous Frcnca
and Scotch highway engineers claim
cd II capable Of 1t came to be the
ideal road for suburban sections, and
thousands Of miles were built.
France t" date has spent $66,OOO,-
600 on her Incompatible system of
rock surface national routes and the
United States has followed to de-
gree. possessing at the present time
Approximately $1,000 miles of this
class Of highway.
Prior to the advent OF the automo-
bill" the roads improved, but the mod
crn speed vehicles had not been ira
vcrsing the modern highways long
before pronounced rctrogrcssion Of
the most generally Travelled stretches
was very noticeable. Complaints came
from farmers and from dwcllers along
suburban roads that great dust
nuisance had also sprung up and
that emerald lawns were taking on
the hue of London fog and that box
hedge WAS dove grey rather than
green. Frnit farmers noted their pro-
duties becoming gritty and prices
fell off.
investigation proved at once that
the new conditions had been created
by the automobile and highway cn-
gincrrs in every civilized land began
studying the new condition and seek
ing for a remedy. In this country.
Director Page conducted series Of
interesting experiments. In which var.
ious classes of automobiles were sent
at varying rates of speed over select
ed stretches of road. while expert
photographers pictured their progress
and produced proof that the tractivc
force Of the rear tires did the damage
While he was watching that work
and was experimenting with various
dust laying liquids. France was doing
the same ON IN even larger scale. That
country. which cxlIcnds vast sum:
annually on maintaining the wcll-nigh
perfect system Of highways it has
been building since she days Of the
first Napoleon. made mosi complete
set of measurements and learned that
the automobiles had caused the roads
Of the republic to rctrograde fully &c
per cent 1t was decided to summon