Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-17

depth OF two inches or moro. This being
laid on a good concrete and rubble founda-
ton and rolled down hard u smooth
forms the best surface for a macadamiged
road in all weathers and seasons that has
vet been devised. Moreover It is claimed
that the complaints about the dangers of
tar dust TO lungs, trees and vegetation are
more or less imaginary and have been eN-
aRgerated by newspapers and by persons in
terested in other road surfacing materials.
However this may be, the congress finally
adopted a resolution approving the use Of
tar when properly laid under favorable
conditions.
Modern Road Machinery.
"A highly interesting and practical fea-
ture Of the congress was the exposition OF
materials, processes and machinery for
road building, paving. street cleaning ETC.
which was opened and maintained through
out the week on the terrace of the Tuileries
Gardens. upon which stands the building
known as the Jeu de Raume, which served
as a. headquarters for the conference and
working rooms for the various sections.
Here were displayed in endless variety
the stone, gravel, concrete, asphalt and
having blocks Of wood, granite, basalt and
other material which are used for road and
street making in France and other Euro
mean countries, besides a large number OF
patented combinations OF materials and spe-
cial processes for laying them. Profile
maps. photographs and models OF noted
French. Swiss and Belgian quarries Of road
making crushed stone and paving blocks
were shown. Implements and machinery
from a simple pickaNe to the ponderous
motor street sweeping and sprinkling cars,
were ovid in the limited space, side py
side with colossal steam rollers, scoring
machines to scarify the surface of roads
under repair and a dozen varieties of equip
ment for melting tar and distributing II
evenly over the surface Of roadways. Ihls
part of the exposition was of special inter-
est to the American delegates, who con-
coded that Partisan motor cars for street
sweeping and sprinkling are superior to
ANYTHING Of the kind in use in the United
States.
Methods of Road Making.
Not less instructive were the various
sections of roadway exhibited, showing the
materials and method of construction from
foundation to surface, and 1t may be said
that the one fundamental lesson which was
most conclusively enforced not only by the
tAlliulASf buN ny nv NoNN'+o9
of the congress. is the Indispensable neces-
slty OF sound, thorough construction from
the bottom upward. No surface. however
costly or well laid, can long stand the wear
Of traffic and weather unless the founda-
ton on which it rests is solid, firm and
drained and free from the upward filtra-
ton of water.
THE climax of the proceedings was the
adoption OF a resolution by which 1t was
decided to create a permanent orSaniza-
ton for the Improvement of road building
and maintenance in the countries repre-
scented at the congress. 1t will be known
as the Standing International Road Con-
gress association and will have Il perma-
( nent working commission, made up OF the
president and vice president Of the general
board and of the same officers of the sew
cral sectional committees into which the
congress was divided. The headquarters
of the permanent commission will be in
Paris, and each country will be represented
b ytwo of its members. The first work of
the standing commission will be to draw
Up regulations for the main association and
prepare for the next international congress,
which will take place in Brussels in 1910. "