The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1909-09-03
MEETING DISCUSSES
PERMANENT ROADS.
Representative Of Standard Oil Com
pany Explains Use of Asphalt
Oil in Roadmaking.
INITIAL COST OF ASPHAlTED
OIL ROAD $500 A MILE.
Committee to Observe Oil Road at
New Iberia and Find Cost of
Permanent Roads.

Tuesday evening at O'Clock
number of citizens of Lafayette and
Broussard met at the court house for
the purpose of discussing the Q,es-
ton of considering means for begin
ming permanent road construction in
this parish. Mr.. A. NJ. Martin called
the meeting to order and requested
Judge o c. Mouton tC preside.
Judge Mouton briefly explained the
object CT the meeting and stated that
if the building of permanent roads
could be brought about it would no
doubt rebound to the good of the COM
munity.
He asked for an expression from
those present and DR.. G. r. DeLaureal
said that he felt that the money which
is now spent could be used for build
ing permanent roads. He had been
informed by the president of the
police jury that about $4,000 was an
nually spent on the roads. BY adding
So, 900 or $4,000 more good roads could
be built over the entire parish. We
are told that we have good roads,
but when time for moving the crops
begins the roads are bad He spoke
also of the proposed school tax and
added that a court house tax might
L be considered, as a court house would
have to be built, and this could be
taken up now in connection with a
movement for permanent roads. He
stated that a good roads man was
present and asked for statement
from him.
| Mr.. T. p Wilson, the gentleman re-
| ferred to by Dr. DeLaureal, is a rep
resentative of the Standard Oil Com
pany and was present by request. Mr..
Wilson stated that the Standard Oil
Company were makers of good roads
loil containing asphalt, and told OF
their experience and success in road
building by the use of this asphalt
oil. He said that the method used
was to treat the dirt or shell road
with the oil, averaging one-quarter OF
a gallon per square yard to dirt and
one-third gallon to shell roads. The
ioil formed a union with the dirt or
shells, making a coating about two
inches thick Where the road was
properly built and crowned, giving a
firm base of dirt or shells with neces'
sary slant from the middle to the
lodges, the roadwas solid, no dust, and
remained in good condition for twelve
months, after which it was necessary
Ito treat the road again with the as
lphalt oil, one-third the first amount
fused being necessary for the second
coating He gave description Of the
success attained in New Orleans ir
the use of the asphalt oil for road
Ipurposes and stated that the roads
treated with the oil had proven solid
Idustless and equal to the traffic pass
ling over them. To the question as tt
whether his company would be will
ing to build an object-lesson road a
: Lafayette. he replied that they would
sell 900 gallons of oil at cost t. o. b
New Orleans, 6 IL cents gallon, ant
furnish man to superintend the
building of the model road. They Were
going to shortly build such road a
New Iberia and if desired wouls
; come here afterwards. Being asket
the cost per mile of treating road
with asphalt oil, he said that 1890
read cost about $500 mile the frs
: year and $1GO mile the second treat
ment.
Judge Mouton here stated that b.
8 request he had looked up the Lax
= as to funds available for roads an
: found that the police jury had
fright to set aside one mill of tn
general tax for the purpose, levy
charge of 25 cents to $1.00 on ve
r lhicles, and that the people could vot
! la 5-mill tax for five years, but thi
q tax could not be voted for longer tha
i five years, nor could bonds be issue
!. against such a tax Governor Sander
1 had struck a popular chord in hi
good roads agitation, for good road
were the real interest of the people
The best tax is for public roads; tn
!, people get indirect benefit from othe
taxes, but from a road tax get diret