The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-06-09
waste IN HIGHWAYS
HALF THE MONEY SPENT IN
PUBLIC ROADS Is THROWN
AWAY.
GOOD ROADS, UNIVERSAL CRY
Everybody Wants Something Done,
out Nearly Every Community Is
Cropping In tho Dark-Time to Face
About and Try for Better Results.
BY HOWARD n. GROSS.

sy HOWARD H. GROSS.
No one who is familiar with the way
road work has been handled for the
last twenty years will dispute that
half OF the time and money expended
upon our public roads by the hit and
miss methods employed has been
wasted. Most observers will say the
waste is even greater. The country
over, the outlay approximates $90,0O0,-
wv. We have gone on from genera.
ton to generation pursuing this alb.
surd plan, or rather lack of plan. It
Is most unbusinesslike and repre-
hens1ble proceeding. No business en-
terpr1se could last year with such a
fearful waste. A calculation made
with great care by one of the best au.
tnor1t1es In the state, contends the d.
rect waste on Illinois roads by doing
the wrong thing, or if perchance do.
ing the right thing, then doing it at
the wrong time, causes loss Of $780,
900 per day!
In no department of administration
have we more signally failed than In
dealing with the question of the high
ways. 1t Is time to face about and
make an effort to get better results.
Is 1t any wonder people are "sore''
when 1t comes to paying road taxes?
They have been at it for generations
and with here and there an exception,
the roads are no better than they were
to begin with.
The question now is what specific
things shall be done In order to get
better results. The first step in the
writer's opinion is to wipe out the
labor system of working out" the tax
by the annual picnic or talkfest, that
usually takes place in the early fall
when everybody turns out to "im-
prove" the road. There is no definite
plan; the practice is to pillow and
scrape. and fill the center of the road
with sod, weeds, brush and earth.
making what before was a passable
road one that is impossible. The late
ness Of the season prevents a proper
settlement before the heavy fall rains
and the winter sets in. The weeds,
sod and brush are sure to make trou-
Bile for year or more Many time
the writer has observed a bunch of
men and teams do hundred dollars
worth Of damage to work out fifty
dollar road tax. The stories told, the
stunts of wrestling, jumping and other
athletic diversions, make 1t holiday
enjoyed by every one.
There Is but one thing to do: Col
lect all the road taxes in cash and pay
to have the work done under the best
supervision obtainable.
This working out the road tax dates
back before the war, when there was
very little money in circulation, and it
was next to impossible for the people
to pay the tax In any other way. It.
Is different now. The labor system
has outlived its usefulness and should
90.
Road building, even If a dirt road,
requires considerable engineering ex-
perience the farmer does not and Is
not expected to have. 1t is no reflec-
tion upon him to say he is not a sue
cessful road builder-any more than
It would be to question his ability in
carpentry. To have the best supervi-
sion the township or road district is
too small a unit. The mileage Is too
limited to make it practical to have an
experienced road builder in charge
Hence the present thought is that the