The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1908-12-03
UNCLE SAM
Has Nothing to Learn
From Old Countries
in Road Making
DIRECTOR RETURNS

Washington, d. c., Nov. 29.-Logan
Waller Page, director of the Office of
Public Roads of the United States
Department of Agriculture, who was
named by President Roosevelt as the
head of the American commission to
the recent International Roads Con-
gress at Paris, returned to Washing
ton a few days since, firm in the be-
lief that in some of the scientific
branches of highway construction the
United States has nothing to learn
from the older nations, though he was
willing to concede that those coun-
tries surpass this to an amazing de-
gree in the percentage of improved
road mileage and in the jealous care
with which their splendid highways
are maintained.
Among the many things which es-
pecially impressed Mr.. Page during
his European trip were the methods
for regulating automobile traffic in
France and England; the belief of a
majority of the delegates to the roads
congress that the automobile running
at average speed is not detrimental to
highways; the splendor of French
hospitality; the discovery thai many
in England have been constructed by
mixing limestone and granite after
the methods set forth in publica-
tions issued through the United
States once of Public Roads, and the
amusing discussion now being carried
on by English automobilists against
horse traffic in city streets and upon
suburban highways.
al A1aA In
magnificent road leading from Paris
to Versailles 5000 automobiles pass
either way on each fine day, but he
noted that it was in such perfect con-
dition that it was practically as dust
less as the carefully swept asphalt
street of large city.
No better macadam roads are built
in France than can be and are built
in this country; but the maintaining
Of these roads is attended to with the
utmost care, and for that reason the
highways are invariably in such splen-
did condition that they excite the
envy of American visitors.
Prior to his arrival at Paris, Mr..
Page spent some days in England in
the company of some of the famous
highway engineers of the empire, ex-
amining roads throughout England.
1t is his belief that England has ar
rived as near to the solution of dust
less roads-the present day problem
of all highway engineers-as any
nation. Her engineers have given
the use of bituminous materials for
spraying macadam roads the utmost
thought and care. Spraying highways
with such materials after science has
been called to the aid of the highway
builder, has tendency to preserve the
solidity of the roads and prevent the
formation of dust; and England has
made such progress in this branch of
read study that many miles of subur-
ban roads are as free from the dis
e-breeding dust nuisance as the
best kept streets of the principal
cities of the world.
1t was a source of great gratifica-
tfOn to the American chairman to be
frankly told that in both France and
England that this nation has stepped
ahead of both those nations in the
testing of materials for building
macadam roads. Various expert
ments conducted by the Office of Pub
lie Roads have developed the fact
that It is possible in road building to
obtain a better bonded surface by
mixing rocks, such as limestone, with
silicious rocks, such as granite or
sandstone.
That discovery--embodied In publ
cations ssnt out through the United
States Department of Agriculture
has been adopted by some of the
British highway engineers, and while
in England Mr.. Page was driven over
q number Of stretches of splendid
highway built by the blending of such
material, and was commended by
those VINO built them.