Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-25

immediate present according to
Logan Waller Page. director OF
the office OF public roads, United
States Department of Agriculture, is the
most important period in the history OF
road improvement in the United states.
The cid systems of road administration,
involving the principle Of extreme local.
zation are fast breaking up and new sys-
TENS. involving the principle of centrah-
cation. are taking their places Road adj
ministration just at present Is i'm a transit
tionai or formative stage and has reached
a point where 1t is of the utmost impor-
lance that the movement should De d.
rccted along the right lines.
The introduction of the motor vehicle
at about the time when these changes in
administration began has brought about
traffic conditions which have necesSitated
an equally radical departure from old
methods of construction and maintenance
The entire road subject, a result. is
passing through an exceedingly important
period in which the educational and SCI
cntific work being carried on by the fed
eral government is proving of the great
est value.
The advisory work of the public roads
branch of the service is at the present
time covering large field relating to con-
struction of various types OF road. sur
veys, use of convicts In road work, bridge
construction. maintenance. use or the
split-lDg drag. road materials, erect vi
automobiles on roads, the issuance OF
bonds for road improvement, the drain
age of roads and other work along similar
lines. AS the net result of this work the
various localities have come to look upon
the Office of public roads as Il bOdy OF
consulting engineers and experts VINO are
ready and able at all times to aid them
i'm the solution of their most difficult road
problems.
The Office is assembling reliable data
as to the progress of road improvement
i'm the United States and the relation of
roads 10 agriculture. Through an Or
sanitation composed Of special agents In
all parts Of the country the ohice soon
will be in a position to receive prompt
reports OF progress along all lines. This
information will be disseminated in such
a way that the work in the various states
can. be so correlated and co-ordinated us
TO minimize the duplication which Is now
much in evidence.
According to Director Page the need for
better culverts and bridges for the pubic
highways is becoming evident, both from
the point of view Of economy and safety
for the pubic. Information on this sub
ject in suitable form has been in the
past. and still remains. fragmentary and
scattered. The greater number OF these
structures In the past have been built OF
timber. which is constantly increasing in
prise and requires relatively much
larger expenditure for maintenance He
suggests that they be constructed OF con-
crete or masonry, provided that the re-
Quired information and skilled supervi-
sion may be had AS result much
economy can be effected and more dura-
BILE and safer structures can be built.
The investigation of the problems of dust
prevention and road preservation is ad-
vancing rapidly and is receiving consid- |
cradle attention by the public roads bu-
reau
Another matter which has been receiv-
ing the attention of the federal officials
10 the development OF Oil cement con-
crete, As the result of investigations 1t
has been found that it Is possible to
minsle mineral oils with concrete while
ii Is still wet and before 1t Is laid or
nodded In the form, so that the material
may be rendered waterproof. Several
pieces of road surface already have been
improved by Oil cement concrete. In adj
dition to this. a bridge surface has been
constructed of this material In New Jer-
sey, all of which surfaces up to the
present time are giving entire satisfac-
ton. The project is yet In an expert
mental stage and the results obtained
are not conclusive.
A project which Director Page hopes to
experimental station in the vicinity of the
National Capital, at which short sections
Of road of various types will be con-
structed and thorough tests made, not
only of various methods OF construction.
but also Of the materials employed in
their construction and maintenance.
1t is his idea to keep the experimental
sections under continuous observation
and Subject them to traffic and other
tests with the purpose OF obtaining COM
parative data regarding all types Of roads
and of evolving If possible, the type OF
road most suited to any given set OF
conditions. During the last year a num-
her of Object-lesson roads were con-
structed, built at local expense under the
supervision of an engineer from the pub
lie roads Office, and as the direct result
Of this work more than 100 miles Of ad-
ditional roads were built.
Not only did the state roads commits
sion OF Maryland give the people of
Maryland a substantial Christmas gift
when it ordered every toll gate on the
Frederick road between Baltimore and
Boonsboro. Nd, abolished, but the motor
lists of Washington benefited as we'll.
There is great rejoicing AS the result Of
the order of Gov. Crothers that the col
lection Of tolls cease, and the Maryland
officials are receiving congratulations
from every source. The deal for the pur-
chase of the turnpike, which has been
pending for year more, WAS con-
summated a few days ago, the state pay
ing to the owners of the road 100000.
Gov. Crothers and Chairman John NJ
Tucker-belieye the commission has made
a good bargain, and u leading number
In the deal the commission had the
active s,Ipport of former Coy Edwin