The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-22

worthy of note. Altogether, not per
cent. can be called first-class."
But thought we were doig a grea,
deal as to improving our roas. Mr.
Pager"
so We are. but a vast amount OF
the money spent does no permanent
good. The ordinary way of handling
the roads ia through road superin-
tendent or supervisor. who is usually
politician and who knows nothing
ABOUT roads. In many cases he patches
up the highways in front of the farms
oil mis- principal constituents. digging
out the weeds from the sides and
/ throwing them to the centre. In man
places the road taxes are paid in
TABOR This gives unskilled and ire
sponslole workmen, and In other places
the roads are let ut by contracts.
: "hlch often means graft In some
or cur towns the streets have been
torn UP and relaid again and again.
ana the 60 will be the case with
roads OF the counties which are con-
tracing for highway Improvement.
First a gravel road may be made, and
inc contractor will mako his profit
OH mat Then anoth vote OF the
people may change the gravel to
macadam. and a third tearinC up NAV
changeit to brick. Millions OF dollars
are now being appropriated for road
ways by the various counties and
states, but In many cases the money
is being unwisely spent"
How Our Public Highways Should Be
Managed.
What would be the best system of
road improvements" asked.
IF we could have n general road
organization such as that OF soma ,f
the countries OF Europe 1t would
crate revolution in our public high
ways. Take France. for Instance Its
roads are all under the department of
public works, at the head OF which
is Cabinet minister. Each province
has Its road organization and each
district Its road employees down to the
road cantoneer. who has charge of
tTo or three miles Of roadway, for
which he alone is responsible The
the Minister OF Public Works, and if
any part of the system is wrong he
knows just who should remedy ii and
who is responsible. Some such or
Sanization might be made In the VA :
rious States, or for the whole United
States. At any rat the roads of
every State and county should be un-
der competent engineers, experienced
In road construction and maintenance.
These men should hav1 authority to
make the plans for the roads, and to
improve them subject to the direc-
lions of tho higher authorities, and
they should be paid enough so that
they can devote their entire time to
the work. Such engineers are now
employed in many of the States, and
in those counties which arc bonding
themselves to make better roads,
Government Rond Work.
What kind of roads does your
Office maker"
I'VE are making object lesson and
experimental roads here and there
over the country. to show the people
what good roads are and how they
should improve those of the present
AS 1t is now, we have built in the
neighborhood OF 500 such roads in
thirty four different States. These
roads are of the various kinds best
suited to the several localities. Some
are of macadam, some are brick some
of gravel or sand clay and burnt-clay,
while others are OF shell and others
are oiled and cement roads. In this
work the government furnishes the
engineering supervision and prepares
the plans. specifications and cstima ties
OF the work. The locality pays the
other expenses. In addition to this
We test road materials and advise the
people as to what roads are the best
for their special localities. We make
plans for the construction, mainte-
nance and administration OF roads
adapted IT, tho country which applies
for them
at the same time we have lecturers
going over the country to tell tho
people how roads should be made. and
to show them the importance of good
roads. We are now equipping a GER
tain number OF cars with models of
roads and specimens of road material
as we'll as of bridges. culverts and
other such things. These cars will be
cent over the country. stopping here
and there to instruct the people as to
what good roads arc and how they