The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-06-21
TORAISE FUNDS
BY COUNTY BONDS
a,oIINTIEs PREPARED TO SPEND
MONEY TO BUILD ROADS.
County Officials Should Learn Type of
Road Best Suited to Climatic Con-
ditions and Traffic-Office Public
Roads Ready to Advise.

!
Roads Ready to Advise.
To The Herald:
Washington, D. c., June 20.-Logan
Waller Page, director of the office of
public roads of the United States
department of agriculture, has APP
peared before state legislatures and
county boards in various sections of
the country during the past few
months in response to invitations to
tell what methods are best for obtain
ing funds 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 for
these purposes, but Director Page be
iieves that before plans are set on foot
for raising funds, much should be
said regarding the manner in which
such funds should be expended. If
the voters of a county show readi-
proying their roads, it is of para
mount Importance to them to tlrst as
certain what class of roads should be
constructed.
IT should not be assumed that sim
DIV because a county owns quarrles
from which trap or limestone rock
can be secured that the expensive
macadam road must necessarily be
built The qualifications of any
rock cannot be definitely decided up
on until laboratory tests have been
held Much money has been almost
thrown away in this country, how
ever. on the construction of rock
surfaced roads, those having the con-
struction in charge neglecting to call
in the services of expert chemists,
and using rock totally unsuited to
their traffic or climatic conditions. In
many. many cases, the results were
disastrous. the roads quickly raveling
and going to pieces because the ce-
menting 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 supply
skilled highway engineers who are
qualified to tell what type of highway
would best meet that county's re-
ouirements and to demonstrate those
decisions by supervising the building
of stretches of model highways after
which officials may take pattern.
Wide-wake state and county Off
Gals are now showing the liveliest ap-
probation of the results which follow
a visit by these skilful men, and the
demands for their esrvices are sc
demndas for their services re sc
heavy that it is impossible for Direc'
tor Page to meet more than 20 pei
cent of the requests being filed in his
Office
When county officers learn to ap
preciate the fact that road building is
an art, they will rely more and more
upon expert advice and scientific de
monstration, and when they have
learned what class of roads is desira
able, they will construct them anC
then guard them.
Therein lies one of the most i'm
portant of all American highwa!
questions. Americans build as goot
roads as Englishmen or Frenchmen
but having done so, they rest conten
with their efforts and let each passin;
breath of air. speeding automobile
or drenching rain blow or wash tn
road surface away
In the countries of Europe, wher
the well-nigh perfect roads are tn
pride of the citizens and the env
and admiration of visiting Americans
most Jealous care is constantly givel
the roads; a careful day-by-day in
spection is made and every depression
is quickly filled and all inequalitie
rolled or tamped.
Two requisites, therefore, cOnfron
the county supervisors at the outse
first to ascertain what roads woul
be most suitable to that particula
section, and to provide for funds t
expend in their maintenance afte
completion
Those are vastly important and tn
nation 's>yery small percentage of in