Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-09-04

practice at the present time 20 work tbs
roads with a road machine in the summer
time when the ground has become thor
,ughly dry Loose dirt and clods weeds
and grass are piled up In the middle OF the
road. IL the road Is heavily travelled this
material soon turns to dust and as soon
a. the winter rains come on q is reduced
20 mud The proper time to work the earth
roads Of Nebraska. or any state. for that
matter. Is In the spring OF the year when
the ground Is soft and damp. From two to
four horses can then do as much work
htched to a road machine as twice this
number OF horses later on in the season.
Furthermore, by working the soil when
the ground Is damp, IL will pack and bake
into hard crust, which will be compare
lively dustless all summer. and with a
moderate amount OF traffic will not become
impossible In winter. II the use OF the
road machine is supplemented by that Of
the split log drag, there Is no reason why
Nebraska should not have as good earth
roads as any state in the union. In many
instances roads may be kept In good con-
dition by the use OF the drag alone. The
drag should be used when the ground is
soft and damp, so that when the road dries
out finally, It will be firm. The dragging
Rhould be done as often as is needed, say
cost should not be more than 50 cents per
mile for each dragging, and at a total
OF from SO to Sc per mile per annum tho
average road can be kept in reasonably
good condition.
AS above stated, the best system OF roads
In the world today is that Of France. These
roads are divided into sections or beats
and one man is placed in charge Of each
section. He Is not employed because OF his
political pull or because ne Is a good fell
low, but he is employed because he knows
how to do the work, and he Is kept con-
stantly at It year In and year out This
is what is called the French patrol system.
and II Is founded on the principle that "a
stitch in time saves nine"
A modification OF this system has re-
Gently been adopted in the state OF New
York, and those states and counties that
are following the same principle are the
ones in which the best work is being ac-
complshed. Competent supervision is alb
solutey essential II good roads are to be
constructed and maintained, and one of
the first steps toward competent super
vision is the establishment of a state high
way department.
over half of the states now have state
highway departments and almost as many
states are appropriatng money out Of the
state treasury to aid the counties in road
improvement. The various states pay from
20 to 70 per cent of the cost Of building
state-aid roads, and in several states the
whole cost of trunk line systems is being
paid out of the state treasury.
The first steps to be taken, therefore,
in the state of Nebraska, II improved roads
are to be built. is the establishment Of a
state highway department, employing
competent highway engineer and all neces-
sary assistants. This should be supple
monted by a plan which will provide for
the employment of a trained highway en-
gineer in each OF the important counties
in the state, under whose direction all
road work should be done.
The United States office Of public roads
has built quite a number of object lesson
experimental roads In various parts of tho
state out of stone gravel and sand-elay
mixtures. Details regarding the building
Of these roads NAV be obtained upon ap-
pllcation to the director OF that office.
r. C. SNYDER