The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-12-01

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care. and for that reason the highway
are invariably in such splendid condi
lion that they excite tho envy Of Ameri
can visitors
Prior to his arrival al Paris, Mr., Pagi
spent some days In England In the com
pany Of some of the famous highway
engineers OF the empire, examining road
throughout England. II is his belief that
/ England has arrived as near TO the solu
tion Of dustless roads-the present day
problem OF all highway engineers--al
any nation. Her engineers have giyer
the use Of bitulnluuUs materials fol
spraying maeadam roads the utmost
thought and care Spraying highways
with such materials after science ha,
been called 70 tho aid Of highway build
er, has a tendency TO preserve tho solid
ity Of the roads and prevent the forma.
ton OF dust; and England has made sucl
progress In this branch Of road study
that many miles OF suburban roads arc
as 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 antomobilists.
When the motor ear began 10 come
into use, the teaming interests Of the
world were strong. They berated the
automobile in unmeasured terms; said
that II was a menace to the public and
to the horse; that It endangered life and
limb; In fact advanced every argument
against il that from time iumemorial
has been advanced against the advent Of
every great invention or ciyiizing inhu.
ence.
In the early days OF The American re-
public, the pack. saddle men fought bit.
terly against the advent OF the wagon.
They declared il 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 facili-
tate traffic and throw wagon men out
Of work; the stage coach men battled
against the railroads 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 the horse-ear men against
the trolley car is remembered by all.
The claim was then made that 2,000,000
horses would be thrown out of work and
that horse breeders would stsrve. 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 automobile. There have been thou.
sands Of columns of argument published
against it. and short-siehted men have
advocated such heavy taxation against IL
that a great and an ever growing indus
try would have been sadly hsmpered,
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 i that the
pollnting Of all public thoronqhfaTes is
done not by aut0mobilists, but by horses.
that ii no horses were allowed to drop
organic matter on public thoronghfares,
the dust nuisance would soon be naught
but an unpleasant memory. They ad.
vance the logical statement that the
nuisance created by hundreds Of thou.
sands Of horses is detrimental to public
health and menace to the pavcments.
and they charge that the continual
cleansing of the streets because Of this
traffic imposes vast ard an unjust tax
upon the citizens.
II was a source Of great qualification
TO the American chairman to be frankly
told in both France and England that
this nation has stepped ahead of both
those nations in the testing of materials
for building mstadsr 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 surface BY mix.
ing rocks, such as limestone, with silici. |
Gus rocks. such as granite or sandstone.
That discovery embodied in pubIca-
tions sent out through the United States
department of agriculture had been
adopted by some of the British highway |
engineers, and while in England MIR Page |
was driven over a number of stretches /
II splendid highway huilt by the blend. |
ing Of such material. and was commend |
ed bv those who built them.
In conjunction with that phase Of /
highway construction, Mr. Page was /
ssked ii it would be possible for hi. Office /
10 receive about 800 samples Of the
road building rocks of
sreat Britain and make laboratory tests
If them.
1t was specifically stated in the official
invitation sent from France many
months ago that the congress at Paris
vas called for the purpose OF discussing
he effect of automobile traffic upon pub. /
ic highways and ii deemed detrimental
d devise some means of overcoming the
fleet, Asked what conclusion was
cached by the congress, Mr.. Pare said
hat automobile traffic and it's effect was
rery thoroughly discussed and that many
brilliant papers were presented, every
,hase Of the question being treated 81
rs it was impossible to arrive at A
unanimous conclusion, the question of
smage done was left for later deter.
II was the consensus Of opin.
on, however, that automobiles driven
i ordinary rates Of speed are not es.
ecially harmful to good highways,
Mr.. Pare was especially impressed bv
he laws regulating automobile traffic In
Practically all portions of France and
lngand, Unlike the laws prevailing in
early every section Of this country, the
rotor car restrictions Of those countries
re framed for the purpose Of stopping
-ckless driving and the ofieers respon.
ible for their enforcement are not Ne.
trietsd as are the American oficials.
10 speed LIMIT provisions are ineorper.
ted in tAe laws Of France or England.
in the Judgment of an officer. q motor