The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-03-11
TELLS OF ROADS ABROAD
Best Methods In Europe Not Ahead
Of Ours, Says Major Crosby.


Monday from Chief Engineer Walter
w. Crosby a comprehensive report upon
his trip to Paris last summer to attend
the International Road Congress, held
in that city in October In his report
Mr.. Crosby discusses his observations
of the roads and methods of building
and maintaining them in England, Ire
land and Wales. He speaks of the ma
terials used, and the care, particularly
in England, with which roads are main
tanned.
In summarizing his impressions of
the congress and its result, he says.
THE congress was undoubtedly
prompted by the evident effect of auto
mobile traffic on the roads. The uni
versal interest in the question was
shown by the fact that 30 countries
were represented by more than 1920
delegates. The information acquired
by the American delegates was perhaps
not so much due to the discussions and
conclusions of the congress itself as to
the views presented in the papers, to
personal contact and discussions with
the delegates and to impressions Of
methods and results in the places visit
ed.
1t seems impracticable in an informal
report of this nature to express in de-
tail all the impressions | received con-
corning roadbuilding abroad, but as a
summary of them l might state as fol
lows:
I'VE did not feel on our return that
the best American practice in cOnstruc-
ton is behind the foreign in any way,
so far as it goes, except possibly in
some details of city work (paving). Of
course, the general impressions of the
visitor abroad are to the effect that
European roads are tar better than
American. This is largely due the fact
that there the systems of goods road are
accomplished facts, while ours are still
in the making. Their work now is
mostly reconstruction and maintenance,
while ours is construction from the be-
ginning, and forced construction at that.
We are trying to accomplish the same,
or better, results in one-tenth the time
THE comparative excellence of for
eign roads is mainly due to more care
full and thorough maintenance. The
organization and execution of the main
tenance is far ahead and much better
than that of either the United States
as a whole or of any State or subdi-
vision.
The solution of the problems brought
up by changing traffic conditions is no
further advanced abroad than with US,
though more actual work in this line
has been completed on the road surfaces
themselves.
THE establishment of permanent
international body for the accumulation
of the experiences in localities is proba-
bly, the most important result of the
congress, and the future compilation Of
such experiences and the expert con-
slderation of them extends the hope that
the final solution is greatly advanced
and Is now not far off.
Another lesson of the congress and
of the visits to the European cities
agreed upon by all the American dele
gates is the ultimate economy of laying
only good pavements. We were i'm
pressed, as other competent American
visitors have been, by the evident ap-
probation abroad of the Importance of
highway engineering. In Paris, for
example, constant investigation and
experiment is carried on by trained ex-
perts. The researches made in the
laboratory are supplemented by expert
ence gained IN actual service, the re-
suits being carefully observed and re-
corded. In this way the fund of techni-
cal knowledge available for the engi-
neers in charge of the work is great.
"While, unfortunately, the same or
ganization does not exist to such de-
gree in other cities Of Europe, it is
everywhere apparent that the hief aim
is to construct both roads and streets as
well as possible. Economy Of admins
tration, management and construction
is the rule, but there is no economy for
the mere sake of cheapness. The chief
object in view is the improvement in
quality, and reduction in first cost is al
most an incidental consideration.
I'VE returned with renewed and
strengthened confidence in American
methods and engineers, in itself no
sma thing toward successful results,
and the belief that future congresses
are most desirable for universal benefit,
including our own. e"