The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-08-30
STIMULUS IS ADDED
TO ROAD BUILDING
BY Reason of PoStofice
Kicking on Conditions
Of Highways.

The suggestion given by the Post
office Department that il cannot main
tain rural free delivery routes over
roads which are not in a passable con
dition 'annot help but give a stimulus
to roaJg. construction. and increase the
interest in road building throughout the
country.
Prof. ". NJ. Hays. Assistant Secretary
of Agriculture, who is an enthusiastic
advocate Of good roads, and an author
ity on agricultural subjects. sees in the
notice issued by the Postoffice Depart
ment a step toward a comprehensive
system OF road building by county and
State authorities correlated 10 the work
now going on under the direction of the
Department Of Agriculture and its d.
vision OF good roads
It has come to be well accepted that
larger treatment of the waterways Of
the country, or a more comprehensive
scale. for which the National Rivers and
Harbors COngre IS stands. means better
roads, and therefore a blessing to the
farmers, increased value for his farms
and easier movement for his wagons.
With a comprehensive plan Of dealing
with the water highways of the nation
on the part of the General Govern
ment the building Of roads would be
made much easier than now. for IT
would be possible to transport netalIing
material for roads far distances bv
water. which under existing conditions
is impossible.
To Aid in Transportation.
II the Lakes-to-the-Gulf project of in
oreasing the depth OF the Mississippi
is accomplished it would be possible
to transport the refuse from the ore
mines OF the Duluth Superior region
to the lower Mississippi and use this
extremely hard material for road build
ing in half dozen States bordering
on the Father OF Waters
Trap rock. which is the toughest kind
Of hard rock. used loosely 10 designate
various dark-colored igneous rocks.
wears well as road material, and with
| improved waterways to insure trans
portation its use would be an accom-
| plished fact
Rock from the palisades has also
been used for road building. especially
/ in New York and portions Of New Eng
/ land, but with an inland waterway from
/ New York 10 Florida, its use upon the
roads OF the South would insure re-
! suits at present but little appreciated
and make possible the desire OF the
Postmaster General to- have. ia the
! United States, a system Of roads the
equal OF those in France, Brittany. and
| rural England.
Il is remarkable how closely tse ma
TONS waterways are related 20 the
material welfare OF the whole people.
| affecting in a minor degree both steam
/ and electric railway transportation, solv-
/ ing the bull1ier freight problems by
making the rivers and streams respond
| to the uses Of navigation.
Traffic Facilities Increasing.
| In this connection It IS Interesting
to note that the traffic moved BY rail-
roads OF the United States exceeds four
! and one-haIf million tons every twenty
/ four hours. and that the railroad traf-
/ hc OF the country has doubled IN the
! last seven years, while the facilities
for transporting il have increased less
than > per cent. Should the next seven
years prove as productive ana as fruit
ful of large returns as the last seven
years, that traffic. in the very nature
of things. ought 10 double again and
then arises the question, How is il To
be carried?
Unless II can be carried there VIII be
little or no inducement 10 Increase its
volume. and without the physical ability
TO transport the output of the farm
mine and factory production VIII neCrs-
sarily suffer. With the railroads unable
10 meet the demands Of The great pro-
ducing forces Of the country, for the
carriage OF their products, the water
WAYS of the nation, through its rivers
streams and canals wiz be called upon
to bear its proportion Of the transpor-
tatlon, and a comprehensive system OF
waterway development, as urged by the
National Rivers and Har5Crs Congress,
becomes imperative.