Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-08-20
INTERNATIONAL
ROAD CONGRESS


ship of the Cunard line. sailed on the
eleventh. it carried among other pas
sengers, Logan Waller Page. director
of the office of public roads of the
United States department of agricul-
ture, vino. being especially commits
stoned by President Roosevelt, is on
his way to France to tell the highway
engineers OF the world just exactly
what, in his opinion. the automobile
is doing to the maoadam thorough
fares of civilization, and what should
be done to counteract its destructive
effects.
President Roosevelt summoned Di
rector Page to the white house and
conferred with him about this latest
and most startling highway problem.
He learned that an almost incalculsble
amount of damage is being done daily
and then he informed the director
that it was his wish that the United
States be strongly represented at the
coming international road congress in
Paris, and he asked for the names of
two or three experts to contribute in
formation at that great gathering. Mr..
Page named Colonel Charles S. Brom-
we'll, superintendent of buildings and
grounds of the District of Columbia,
and Mr.. Clifford Richardson, national
ly famous as an authority on bitumi-
nous road material, they were appoint
ed, aud Mr.. Page was named as chair
man of the delegation.
Although this congress will not as
semble at Paris until October II, Di-
rector Page decided to sail last
week, it being understood that he
would personally inspect some of the
roads of England, Germany, and
France before the distinguished as
sembage is called to order. He wished
to view at close range the retrogres-
sion of those famous highways; and
to see il the speeding automobiles
worked the same damage there as
they do here and study the remedial
work that is being done. Here he has
learned that by the tractive force of
the rubber tires of the speeding motor
car the surface binding dust Of rock
roads is drawn from its resting place
and is sent swirling to the adjacent
fields Inasmuch as the integrity Of the
macadam road rests absolutely in this
rock dust, which acts as binding
and surfacing crust, dissipating of
the surface leaves the'road nothing but
mass of loose round stones The tests
held here, especially those on the Con-
duit road near Washington, D. O.,
prove this contention absolutely, and
he carries with him a wonderful COL
lection of photographs taken during
the progress of those tests. by light
ming. like cameras. These pictures will
be submitted to the congress assembl-
ed, being but the contribution of one
savant. for it is not assumed that
America alone has solved this prob
lem. The greater question that will
arise will be how to overcome the
effect of automobile traffic on hard
roads without in any way restricting
the automobile or preventing its de-
velopment. Two solutions there are to
that question one. TO find material
of which roads may be made which
creates no dust, or, secondly, to so
treat the roads already constructed
that the dust will be retained upon
t hem. That, of course, is now being
done in many parts OF the country by
spraying with calcium chloride and
through the use of various bituminous
preparations. Director Page and his
associates will have much interesting
information to contribute along those
lines. for many miles Of Americas
roads have, within the past few
months, been treated by these various
preparations, many of the tests under
the direction OF some expert from the
federal Office OF public roads.