Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1909-08-04
Cool Roads Discussion.

j, Logan Waller Page. director of the |
office of Public Roads of the y S., |
Department of Agriculture. has APP
reared before State Legislatures md |
county boards in various sections of
the country during the past few month
in reponse to Invitations to tell what
me thods are best for obtaining funds i
for road construction and how the |
roads should be maintained after they
have once been secured.
At the present time there are two
principal methods of raising funds fol
these purposes, but Director Page
foot for raising funds, much should be
said regarding the manner in which
such funds should be expended. If the
voters OF county show readiness to
spend a generous sum in improving
their roads, it is of paramount i'm
portance to them to first ascertain
what class of roads should be con-
structed.
1t should not be assumed that simply
! because a County owns QuarrleS from
which trap or linn stone rock can be
secured that the expensive macadam
road must necessarily be built. The
qlalificat ons of any rock cannot be
definitely decided upon until laboratory
tests have been held. Much money
| has been almost thrown away in this
country, however, on the construction
of surfaced roads. those having
the construction in charge neglecting
| to call in the services of expert
chemists. and using rock totally un-
suited to their traffic or climatic con-
ditions. In many. many cases. the
results were disastrous, the roads
quickly raveling and going to pieces
because the cementing value Was
lacking.
A county which shows sufficient
progress to bond itself in a liberal
amount for the purpose of securing
improved roads should keep its money
intact until its officers have learned
exactly what class of roads will best
meet its requirements; what type Of
road it is best qualified to construct
and what it can best afford.
Those facts can be secured through
the aid of the National Government,
the office of Public Roads standing
ready to give gratuitous advice and to
supply skilled highway engineers who
are qualified to tell what type of high.
way would best meet that county s
requirements and to demonstrate
those decisions by supervising the
building of stretches of model high
ways, after which local officials may
take pattern.
Wide-aWake State and county officials
are now showing the livellest apprecia-
lion of the results which follow visit
by these skilful men. and the demands
t for their services are so heavy that it
t is impossible for Director Page to meet
e more than 20 per cent of the requests
d being filed in his Office
q When county officers learn to appreci
S ate the fact that road building is ar
d art, they will rely more and more uD-
g on expert advice and scientific demon
I stration, and when they have Learned
o what class of roads is desirable, the,
d will construct them and then guarC
O them.
y Therein lies one of the most impor
e tant of all American highway ques
tions. Americans build as good road
v as Englishmen or Frepchmen, bu
g having done so, they rest contentet
-, with their efforts and let each passing
), breath of air, speeding automobile, o
- drenchng rain blow or wash the roac
y service away.
~ In the countries of Europe, where tn
o well-nigh perfect roads are the pride
+ of the citizens and the envy and ad
;, miration of visiting Americans, mos
q jealous care is constantly given;
,; careful inspection is made and ever
depression is quickly filled and all in
~ equalities rolled or tamped.
= Two requisites, therefore, confron
+ the county supervisors at the outse
~ first to ascertain what roads woul,
~ section, and to provide for funds t.
a expend in their maintenance afte
- completion.
% Those are vastly important and thu
"a Nations very small percentage of i'm
!, proved roads is due largely to failur
" to give consideration to them. Nil
20 lions OF money have been wasted i
- building roads which local condition
, made impracticable and out of all cos
- pr oportion to the county's revenue.
- There are exceptions to all rules
" however, and Pike County, Alabama
:, stands as glittering exception to tn
> usual construction blunder. There tn
~ y, county officials had planned to expen
y large sum in the building of grave
- roads.
~ w. L. Spoon, United States Superir
~ tendent of Road Construction, bein
W sent to make an inspection of tn
- county's road possibilities, learne
r. that 700 miles of important route
70 needed improvement. He figured tina
-, ~ the cost of gravel roads would b
n 1000 mile-plainly sum create
in than the county could be bonded fol-
= Conditions were ideal for sand-cla
~, y, construction and he strongly urged it
20 adoption. By legal pro, iso tn
in county could be bonded for only 3
- = per centum of the assessed value G
II the real and personal property. Til
IF plan was decided upon and an issue c
" $143, 900 was voted. One hundred thor
" y sand dollars worth of the bonds wer
" quickly sold, being disposed of i
-, - $4,000 allotments.
~ The first allotment brought pre-
~ MUM of S625 and the second one {
n 1925. Forty thousand dollars was {
80 once spent for mules and roat
70 building machinery and work VIZ
started.
SSG With the sum remaining, 11S mile