The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-08
FEDERAL COLLEGE FOR ROAD MAKING Efforts to Improve the Nations
 Highways GREAT RESULTS ALREADY Sketch of the Government Good Roads Bureau and How Its Work Has
 Achieved Enormous
 Results.
GREAT RESULTS ALREADY

Chicago. March Especial )-wn- l liam E. Curtis sends the following to
 the Record-Herald from Washington: l There is new kind of college in | Washington down on Fourteenth 1 street between B and c streets. back | of the department of agriculture and
 near the bureau of engraving and print
 ing, where our money and postage stamps are made. It is 6 modest in stitution, and. like most other things l that begin young, is unpretentious and
 of limited dimensions. But neverthe-
 less, 1t Is doing good work and Is turn
 ing out a group of graduates every
 year thoroughly trained to a profess
 sion that is entirely new and almost
 unique in the United States, although
 1t has existed for centuries of useful ness in Europe
 The college I am talking about has
 never been included in the list of edu-
 cational institutions reported upon by
 the commissioner of education In his
 annual publications, but It's diplomas
 are recognized by public officials
 throughout the United States, wherever
 an attempt is being made to improve
 the roads and highways.
 Soon after Secretary Wilson got the
 good roads movement thoroughly
 started he discovered that 1t would be
 nece essary to educate men to handle it,
 and that 1t was of vital importance that
 the money appropriated for the inn provement of roads should be expended
 in an economical and a scientific man.
 ner. He argued that unscientific and
 defective methods of road building
 would mean not only a waste in the
 particular case in point, but that the
 effect would result in retarding road
 building there and elsewhere for all
 indefinite period. Therefore, there was
 only one conclusion, which was that if the national government undertook to facilitate and encourage the improve ment of the highways of this country it's first and most important duty was to furnish a supply of competent en- gineers to instruct and direct local of- fcials in tn cir work.
 The office of public roads has met the situation in an admirable manner, so lar as its means permit, by providing one
 year course of graduate instruction m highway engineering. A competitive ex- animation is held every year under the auspices of the civil service commission at Washington, which is open to gradu- ates of engineering schools or to mem-
 bers of the senior classes of such schools, l and upon a successful passing of the ex- animation the student Is rendered posi- ton as civil engineer student in the pu- reau at salary of $50 per month ana | field expenses. At the end of one year he is given a certificate stating that he has 1 completed the graduate course. He may, , however, be retained in the service and 1 promoted to the position of assistant en- l gineer without further examination. This 1 course is divided into laboratory instruc- 1 tion and practical field work under trained 1 engineers.
 Another phase of the work of the bu- real Is that of direct cooperation with the various schools and colleges in elaborat-
 ing and improving their present courses
 of study in highway engineering, and,
 where such courses are entirely lacking, , to introduce them It is probable that
 next winter a short course of lectures by a representative of the office of public roads will be delivered at Columbia uni , versity at New York, and probably some of the other large eastern schools. The office receives numerous requests each year to recommend engineers for appoint ment to state and county engineering positions rhe present state engineer of Illinois was formerly highway engineer of the office of public roads.
  l eral thousand road engineers, and there l is a great demand for them. One is needed in every county, and the local authorities are gradually becoming con- vinced that they pay their way not only by showing people how to make better , roads, but by introducing various econo. . mics which make the money go farther , than would be possible in the hands oi inexperienced men. Some of the grad uates of the school are now receiving ! salaries of $3000 and $4000, so great is the , demand for them The number of stu dents is limited because of the lack oi {, money, and it Is hoped that Congress i will appreciate the importance of the col l lege and increase its facilities. The pres | ent class come mostly from the middle 1 west, and are all graduates of schools 1 of engineering. The way to get into l the college Is to apply to the civil serv-
 Ice commission, Washington, D. C., fol 1 circulars of instruction. and it should l be done at once, because the next ex l animation takes place this month.
 l There have been three men at the head l of the good roads bureau since it wa: l organized. The man to whom the great | est credit should be given for the en. l thusiasm, energy and resourcefulness l which he displayed in successfully in.