Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-11
FOUNTAIN L. THOMPSON.

from uncuitivated OF uncaredfor land
along the roadways. There are no
weeds, no mud or chuck holes, no
sand stretches in the roads. Looking
into the valleys from one OF the thou
sands of lookout towers which have
been placed on the summit of nearly
every high elevation of land or noun
tain in Germany. the roads lie before
ones view like bright white ribbons
running past squares of green or brown
fields. along the verges of cultivated
woods. and binding village to village
a solution of the first and most i'm
portant problem of human economy and
evolution, that OF transportation.
1t is not an infrequent sight, when
travelling by rail through the more level
stretches OF country in Germany,
France. or Holland. TO see an automo-
bile flying over some main highway
running parallel with the railroad.
easily keeping pace with the train for
miles, 1t being generally necessary to
saacken speed only when passing
through the larger villages and towns,
and never on account of poor roads
The good-roads question for the
United States may seem almost hope
less when considered with such pictures
before the eye. but one of the simplest
and most practical measures that could
be taken for their bettorment would be
to reduce their width to from one-thIrd
TO one-half of what they now are Work
could then be concentrated on the road
way and drains. the waste land re-
turned to the farmers or abutting prop
erty owners, and by these perfectly nat
uIal economies make both the building
and maintenance of the roads Il much
simpler and less expensive proposition
No road can be called really good IL
it Is bordered with weeds or mud and
TO care for and keep up a road from GO
to 40 feet In width, not to mention the
loss of land. means in the long run
nearly double the expense of Il 80 or 35-
foot road. The Prussian law speci-
fically states that unnecessary width
shall be avoided OH account OF the cost
OF land and the greater expense of con-
struction and maintenance
The average width of the chaussee or
highway of the first class in Prussia is
approximately 80 feet. and this width
has been found to be ample for all
purposes. In the United States. public
highways in the states given below may
be conservatively estimated as follows,
In miles, the data for Minnesota Wis
consin and Michigan being official:
Minnesota, $4,000; Wisconsin, $4,000:
Michigan. 60.G0O Iowa. 10000: Kansas.
10000. Nebraska, $4,000: Missouri. $4,000.
Illinois. $4,000, Indiana, 10000: Ohio, So
Geo: total 700, ,0cO.
Reducing the width of these public
highways. which now average &C feet, to
IS feet. leaving them st,ll much wider
than the highways of Prussia, would
give back to the farmers of those states
for cultivation 100000 acres of gem
orally tillable land. which. at an aver
age valuation OF s100 per acre. would
mean the restoration TO the producing
values OF the states named OF $3.50. 900. 900.
This sum has an annual interest value
OF $12 100000. an amount which might
be recovered, and II applied to the
proper scientific construction of roads
In the United States would In a few
years give us the most extensive and
finest country road system in the world.