Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-11-21

The same hundred good roads boost
ers who went squarely on record yes
/ terday afternoon as opposed to motor
speeding on country highways wen,
touring the roads Of Fulton county to-
day, ana the route laid out tor the two
hour spin indicates that speed laws
Were to be called off for the day and
the motorcycle cops told to go chase
each other The visitors left the Pied
mont hotel at 10 o'clock. went out past
Hapeville, in by another route, through
the city and out Peachtrec road, and
expect to wind up at the Driving club
for luncheon. More than a dozen Of the
| best highways in the county We're on
the itinerary.
The good roads workers are among
the liyest wires that have come TO At
lanta in several seasons They are en-
thusiasts, and more than that. they are
experts. They know the technical side
Of road building and their conventions
have got beyond the now all let's get
together and holler' stage Of the game.
They are telling each other things and
they seem as interested in listening az
in talking, something rare at convcn-
tons.
Charles F. Light, of West Virginia,
field secretary Of the American Assoc
citation for Highway Improvement, is
considered one of the active good roads
workers of the country. he is the apos-
tie of the log drag. and believes that
dragging a road frequently and well is
the solution Of about 80 per cent of
highway troubles. And he breaches the
gospel OF the drag everywhere he goes.
Get Grade and Bridges"
IF you have limited money and want
to build a road, spend the money on
grading it, he said today. THE grade
is the only really permanent thing
about a road. Get that right. Bridges
are next. Build strong steel bridge
and you won't have to do it over. Then
surface your road II you have any
money left-but grades and bridges are
THE main thing.
Every man thinks he is a road ex-
| pert, just as every man believes he
could rur a newspaper better than the
! editor or beat the landlord running a
/ hotel. Every farmer thinks he knows
all about building road. Every man
can not be a'road expert. but most of
them can be educated We need expert
| knowledge, the very best engineers, If
we would have well built and perma-
nent roads.
But tell the readers OF The Georgian
who want good roads and are willing
to work and pay for them that the log
drag is the best investment In the
world They can keep up a road for
from s. to $40 mile per year with a
drag Don't try to drag twenty mile
stretches. Have a drag for every two
or three miles Of road, light enough for
two mules to pull, and drag the road
after the rains. There isn't any way
to say exactly when. 1t is like pop
ping the question to your sweetheart
one must act according to the sur
rounding circumstances"
v. S. Aid May Hurt Projects.
Mr.. Light advanced the theory that
government aid for the national high
ways might be bad thing II unwisely
handled.
I'm afraid you folks are going to
give us too much money" he said, adj
! dressing Congressman John L. Bur
nett, OF Alabama. No; I'm not sar-
castle. mean it. I'm afraid congress
will give us more than We can use
wisely. There is apt to be a great
waste If the governments funds are
not carefully looked after We waste
| s4O,0OO,OOO a year on roads now-just
throw it away on makeshift roads and
repairs and unnecessary expenditures"
Charles c. Gilbert, assistant secre-
tary OF the Nashville Board OF Trade,
is a veteran good roads worker He
was on the first automobile which
crossed the East Tennessee mountains,