Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1908-12-02

France than can be and are built in this
country; but the maintaining OF these
roads 10 attended to with the utmost care,
and for that reason the highways are in
variably in such splendid condition that
they excite the envy Of American visitors.
Prior to his arrival At Paris, Mr.. Page
spent some days in England in the COM
pany Of some Of the famous highway en-
gineers Of the empire, examining roads
throughout England. 1t is his belief that
England has arrived as near to the solu-
ton OF dustIess roads-tke 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 pre-
vent the formation Of dust; and England
has made such progress in this branch Of
road study that many miles Of suburban
roads are a. free from the disease breeding
dust nuisance as the best kept streets Of
the principal cities Of the world.
So firm are the highway scientists in the
demand that these conditions not merely
maintain but improve, that the first fight
against the horse has been taken up By
the sutomobilists. When the motor car
began to come into use, the teaming in
terests Of the world were strong. They bs-
rated the automobile In unmeasured
terms; said that it was menace to the
public and to the horse; that it endan-
gersd life and limb; in fact advanced every
argument against 1t that from time i'm
memorial has been advanced against the
advent Of every great invention or civiliz-
ing influence.
AUTO vs.. HORSE.
In the early days Of the American re-
public, the pack-saddle men fought bit
teriy against the advent of the wagon.
They declared 1t would make possible the
carrying Of heavier loads and the conse-
quent running Of the pack-saddle indus
try; the wagon men fought the stage coach
on the theory that it would facilitate traf-
hc and throw wagon men out Of work; the
stage coach men battled against the rail-
roads on the theory that the running Of
steam cars would drive out the stage coach
driver; and each in turn was forced to
make way.
The fight Of 1.-THE. horse-car men against
the trolley car is remembered by all. The
claim was then made that 1000, 900 horses
would be thrown out of work and that
horse breeders would starve. The trolley
is well-nigh universal, and yet more
horses are raised each year than the year
before and they bring better prices.
The horse interests have ever fought
the autombile. There have been thou
sands Of columns of argument published
against it, and short-sighted men have
advocated such heavy taxation against it,
that great and an ever growing industry
would have have been sadly hampered,
had half the unwise legislation planned
been put into execution.
Now highway experts aided by the
motor car interests and by powerful
association of London and its suburbs
have turned like the trodden worm and
started an attack on the horse.
The claim they advance is that the pol
luting OF all public thoroughfares is done
not by automobilists but by horses; that
il no horses were allowed to drop organic
matter on public thoroughfares, the dust
nuisance would soon be naught but an
unpleasant memory. They advance the
logical statement that the nuisance created
by hundreds of thousands OF horses is
detrimental to public health and menace
to the pavements, and they charge that
the continual cleansing OF the streets
because of this traffic imposes vast and
an unjust tax upon the citizens.
ROAD BUILDING MATERIALS.
1t was a source of great qualification to
the American chairman to be frankly told
in both France and England that this ma
tion has stepped ahead Of both those ma
tions in the testing of materials for build
ing macadam roads. Various experiments
conducted by the office of public roads
have developed the fact that it is possible
in road building to obtain better bonded