Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-11
HIGHWAY PLANS
TO Be DISCUSSED
Good Roads Convention Will Seek
to Obtain State and
Federal Aid
FUNDS ARE MUCH NEEDED
Expert Discusses Best Methods
of Improving Arteries
of Travel
FUNDS ARE MUCH NEEDED

At the third annual national goods
| roads convention, to be held in st.
Louis September 28 to 30, there will be
discussed the ways and means of pro-
Yiding the necessary funds for the gen.
eral improvement of highways through
out the country. The consensus of
opinion seems to be that in the con-
struction of the main travel highways,
of trunk lines, the expense of such
work should be borne in part by federal
appropriations and state appropria-
tions. Up to the present time no
federal appropriations have been made
for roads construction, although
bureau Is maintained which furnishes
advice and tests road materials. This
bureau has been of the greatest value
in stimulating interest in the good
roads movement throughout the Union.
1.-THE best results on trunk lines here
tofore,' states George C. Diehl chair
man of the national convention COM
mittee, "have been obtained through
large state appropriations, in the form
of state aid to counties and towns. 1t
has been suggested that the extension
of the state aid system to several
states in various parts of the country,
and the appointment of a state high
way commission in every state, which
will Systematically and economically
expend highway moneys, will result in
the near future, in large federal appro-
priations; for such federal appropria-
tions will not be portioned and sent to
the several states unless such states
have the organization, and also demof-
strate the ability to wisely and usefully
expend such national moneys.
GET GOOD ROADS
"The most satisfactory state high
way laws have been those centralizing
state highway commissions which exer-
else control and authority over all
highways; exclusive, of course, Of
cities and incorporated villages.
I'm some instances 1t has been found
advantageous to divide the roads into
three classes, which may briefly be
described as state, county and town
highways.
1.-THE state highways include all of
the main trunk lines, connecting the
different centers of population of the
several counties. 1t is estimated that
such trunk lines would comprise about
4 per cent of the total mileage, and
that these should be constructed solely
at the expense of the state; or, under
federal government control, at the
joint expense of the state and the
nation.
"The second class of highways, called
county roads. should be those arteries
of travel which comprise the main
market roads of each county, which
will form a properly divided and con-
Meeting system Of county highways,
taking into consideration their value
for the purpose of common traffic and
travel. Such highways should be con-
structed at the joint expense of state
and county and town. the proportion
borne by county and town to be based
fiOr n
the total mileage. 1t is estimated that
such highways would comprise about 6
per cent of the total mileage. Both of
these classes of highways would, of
necessity and by reason of the great
amount of travel that they would be
called upon to sustain, be of an eXpen-
sive and durable type. The roads
should be wide, with low grades. but
properly surfaced with some durable
dustless material.
'The remaining roads, constituting
about 80 per cent of the total, might
be classed as town roads, and the ex-
pense of their repair and maintenance
should be borne jointly by the town
ship and state, and all work should be
under the control of the state highway
commission.
"There is now expended throughout
the United States about $50 00O, 900 an
nually in repair and maintenance of
dirt or lateral roads. Much of this
money is wasted by reason of its be-
ing expended in temporary and un-
necessary work. When such work is
under the control of a state highway
commission. the requirement could be
made compulsory, and only one-fourth
of this amount of money-which is
amply sufficient-need be expended for |
temporary work, smoothing the road |
surface, and keeping the bitches free |
from obstruction. The balance of the |
fund could then be used in work of a |
permanent character, such as the con-
struction of culverts, bridges and |
sluices, reducing steep grades, and |
placing upon the roads-after being |
properly drhgged-suitable road ma
terial.
"The maintenance of all classes of |
roads should be systematically and
carefully done, under what might be
termed a patrol system. wherein a
certain mileage of road is turned over
to patrolman who passes over 1t
every day, or as often as may be nee |
essary, and repairs all of the minor
defects. On the macadam, or more
expensive roads, parrolmen would
probably be required every five or ten
miles. On town roads a patrolman
could cover a much greater territory,
which thoroughfares would require
especially the dirt roads-proper drag
ging or 'honing' after every rain. 1t
is especially important that all of
these patrolmen, whether town, coun-
ty or state be retained year after
year, as their knowledge of practical |
road work and their value to the COM |
munity increases with the length Of
their service. In this way, through |
out the country, we would soon have |
a body of trained men, familiar with |
road materials and methods Of oper- |
ating under the skilled and expert |
enced advice of state or federal OFF, |
cials, with the result that our roads |
would, not only in extent but in su-
perior quality, soon equal, and doubt |
less in times surpass, the famous
roads Of other lands"