The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1908-12-18


that you can find. Supplement this
with year or two of post graduate
work devoted to your speciality. The
best graduate course in the world IN
highway engineering is the student
course given by the Office of Pub
lie Roads. This course is open I'M
der competatiye civil service exam
nation to all graduates in civil en-
gineering from reputable colleges.
The only trouble with this course is
that because of the meager appria-
tons made to this office by congress
the number of students must needs
be very limited, not one one-hun
dredth enough to supply the needs
Of the country. The State college
at Pullman has for many years past
given courses in road engineering
and is planning to extend and
broaded these courses still more.
But good roads are not to be had
for there mere asking. If the edu-
cation of the highway engineer need
to be especially broad, it is only
because his field of practice is wider
STILL Road building is an art and
it requires the planning and super
vision of an expert in order to Sc
cure the best returns for the money
invested. In order that the require
ments of local communities may be
clearly understood and local mater
ials most fully utilized there must
be careful investigation with meth
dds of scientific precision, for only
in this way can the cost be brought
within the resources of most COM
munities.
Nor are the problems of organiza-
ton for the management and finan-
ceering of any less Importance. The
good road problem is largely one of
appreciation and cooperation. The
practice of the highway engineer
must, therefore, be SO directed as to
develop both appreciation of what
he has accomplished and hearty CO.
operation in what he is trying to do.
Cooperation is the keynote to success.
Main strength and awkwardness
will not suffice. What the people
want and what they are beginning
to demand is well organized action
under skilled and competent super
vision. This is what produces re-
suits, and it is results that we must
have. This is the demand made by
the great mass of the people. Nor
is this at all strange. 1t is only the
expression of just request: that
our roads be put on basis common
surate with their Importance and
that sound, scientific and business
principles be observed in their loca-
ton, construction and maintenance.
In a brief, general way | have
outlined some of the underlying
principles which should guide us in
both the teaching and the practice
of highway engineering. Like the
nderlying principles of road con-
struction itself they are quite simple
in and of themselves. But in their
proper execution many and varied
complications often arise and to Sc
cure the best results both training
and experience is required.
So in general the economic prob
lens involved in highway improve
ments are not complex in them
selves. They are those which relate
largely to the transportation OF the
agricultural products of country.
In their influence, however, these
bear on the entire life of the nation.
They are very far reaching. While
the roads of any given community
are largely traversed only by those
of the immediate vicinity the ex-
change of her commodities extend
to all parts of the nation It is for
this reason the composite of the
roads of a nation are, in a sense,
the measure of her progress. Indi-
viduals come and go but the nation
continues, yet ever bearing the
stamp of those who have gone.
Public institutions live on and on.
Thus it is we owe a debt to the fu-