Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1911-10-05
HOW no BUILD THE
GOLDEN BELT ROAD RIGHT
Prof. Gearhart Tells What Il the
Best Method.


cultural College, state highway en-
gineer, one OF the best authorities on
road building in nation, has written
to the Reflector about the proposed
Golden Belt road from Manhattan
to Salina. He says:
"As understand 1t, you have
planned to have an earth road laid
out and constructed and maintained
in the best possible condition from
Saiina to Manhattan and to extend
1t east as possible. wrote an arti-
Gle for the Meridian Road Associa-
tion some time ago and incidentally
mentioned the need of a road from
Salina along the river to Kansas City.
! have talked to number Of bust
nessmen here about 1t at different
times but no one seemed to care to
father the movement. am very
glad to learn that you have taken
hold of this matter and beg to ass
sure you that l shall do everything
can to assist you. There Is no road
in Kansas which would be used more
than this one II it was properly con-
structed and maintained. At the
present time there is not worse
road in the state than from Junction
City east through Riley county, Pot
tawatomie, Shawnee, and on down
the river bottom. The tax payers
and men interested In the good roads
movement generally will not care
SO much as to whether the road con-
tinues from Salina to Kansas City
or not. They are especially inter-
ested in the main roads leading into
the market centers; for, instance, at
Abilene the roads that will benefit
you most are the main roads leading
out in every direction for the first
three to five miles but 1t has been
amply demonstrated along the new
Santa Fe Trail and the Meridian
Road that very much more can be
accomplished where the road is made
continuous from one county to the
next and little spirited rivalry can
be worked by playing one town
against the other.
"Some objection of course will be
made by short-sighted tax payers
who have been in the habit of seeing
the road funds distributed over all
Of the roads every year so as to
satisfy the whims of everybody, This
system cannot be condemned too Sc
verely for the work is generally only
half done and no thought is given
to the permanency or the work that
may be done in the future.
"Cities do not try to improve all
\ their streets at one time. They pave
! few blocks of the most important
streets first and reach the others as
fast as possible. This principle is
sound and 1t is necessary that we
apply 1t to our roads since there are
not funds enough to construct all Of
them at one time.
IF you desire 1t I can send you
the resolutions adopted at the time
the New Santa Fe Trail Association
and the Meridian Highway Associa-
ton was organized. They state brief
ly the objects Of the association and
the officers to be chosen and their
duties. It is very important to have
executive committeeman and public
ity men in each county and a per-
manent organization through which
tho president and secretary of the
association can work.
saline and Harvey counties are
the only ones out of the eight coun-
ties through which the Meridian
Road passes in which the county
boards did not classify the roads
in accordance with the new road
law and make levies for the con-
struction and maintenance of county
roads. About the same percentage
OF counties along the Santa Fe Trail
are now working under the new law.
With but few exceptions the county
! boards in the other counties have
simply ignored the law even though
1t states that they shall classify the
roads and make tax levy for their
construction and maintenance.
"If / may suggest, l would rec
ommend that the matter Of locating
and constructing this road be taken
up with all of the towns from salinA
to Kansas City and that you set a
date on which to hold a meeting ana
request that each county and town
along the line have delegates pres
emit and specially urge that members
OF the county board attend. There
ia no question in my mind but that
this line would do more good for
the cause Of improved roads II It
Is properly laid out and q vigorous