Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-22


complete set of models of all kinds OF
road construction and road machinery.
These models have been exhibited In
practically all parts OF the country as
well as abroad.
The office of public roads was originally
the office of road inquiry. and was estab
lished by an actof Congress, March 8.
1893. with an appropriation OF *lo,WO II
WAS provided that inquiries should De
made in regard to systems of road man.
agement throughout the United States. as
well as regarding the best methods of
roadmaking, in addition to which publ
cations should be prepared. and agricui-
tural colleges and experiment stations as
sisted to disseminate information concern
ing roads.
During the first three years of the ex-
istence of the Office the annual appropria-
ton Of $4,000 was
Appropriations continued. For the
year 1897, however. 1t
Increased. was decreased to
$1,000. and provision was added author
izing the investigation Of roadmaking ma
terials in the several states. For the three
following years the appropriations re-
manned at $1,000. during which time the
name was changed to Office Of public road
inquiries In 1901 an appropriation OF
Sl4 GOO was given, and provision was mace
for conducting experiments in the city OF
Washington and elsewhere and for col
Letting. reporting and illustrating re-
suits of such experiments. The appro-
priation for 1902 was $4,000. and the bill
provided for an investigation Of the
chemical and physical characteristics OF
road materials.
Vii, ~, ~ Of
office was assured, and each succeeding
year finds the appropriation growing
larger and larger. the last one being the
first to exceed the 100000 mark. In
1893 the title was again changed. this
time to it's present name, and a statutory
organization established. Another gauge
of the growth Of the Office Of public roads
is the force employed. When it was at
first established only seven persons were
connected with the Office, while today
there are 16j permanent and temporary
employees.
An investigation was begun in 1904 to
ascertain the mileage Of improved and
| unimproved roads. rates of levy and
sources of revenue in every county In
| the United States. This, completed sew
eral years ago. showed that there were
at that time more than 2.1J0, 900 miles of
public roads in the United States. OF
which only IA per cent was improved
The expenditure in money and labor for
1907 amounted to nearly $SO,O0O.OOO. "A
similar investigation was begun in 1900.
and shows that there were In that year
| 2,199.645 miles of public roads in this
| country. of which 1901 miles, or 500
per cent, were improved.
Ky
| The report of Logan Waller Page, di-
rector of the Office of public roads. for
the fiscal year just ended
| A Years shows that during that time
722.S55 square yards of road
| "oIA. way were built. or eighty
eight miles of fourteen-foot road, at a
total cost of s91.s77. An inspection was
made by engineers of the Office of twenty
four previously constructed object-lesson
roads to determine their condition. main
tenance and the service they perform.
| Advice has been supplied through the en-
gineers and experts for model systems Oh
roads 10 tWenty-four different couhties.
I For the purpose of giving proper aoVlce
| and instruction on specific road pfopiems
H. assignments of engineers, experts and
chemists were made. in twenty three
| states and the District of Columbia Inc
| number of samples of road materials re-
| ceiyed to be tested amounted to oV' III,
| GLIDING All samples or rock anu grave,
| and 1913 samples of oil. asphaits, tars ana
other bitum1nOuS HldtcTidtS. III VANSA
| keen in touch with road matters the Oh
flee has engaged collabOrators IN 1orty-
| two states, to report once a month, OF
| when requested. The total numoeT VI
| addresses and lectures delivered by repre-
sentatives of the Office for the year
was 135 or more than 40 in excess
| OF those delivered in 1911. The total at
tendance at the lectures last year was
estimated to be 2OS.472. or about SUN
more than attended in 19ll.
In speaking OF the rodo situdlioii .ou"'
| Mr. Page said
"Rv reason of q rather remarkable COM
bination of conditions the immediate pres
emit may be considered the most lmpor-
tant period in the history OF roau III 1d
| movement in the United States. Inc oio
! systems of road administration. 1nvoiV-
/ ing the principles of extreme localzaeloh'
| are fast breaking up ana new - s.eS'
| involving the principles of centralizauon'
are taking their place. Road aoHlhs
tration is. therefore, in a TRANSITIONAL OF
| formative stage and it is OF the utmost
| importance that the movement De o!ee
| ed along right lines T.;
| eft is a curious coincidence that the IN
,roductfon of the motor vehicle at apout
the time when those changes IN aonlln-
| ist ration began has brought about tra1-
| 6c conditions which have necesslta'eu I'll
| equally radical departure from oiu ,'o'
will thus be seen that the entire supJec'
of road improvement, involving auii'iiis
! tration, construction and maintenance, Is
M rsinp through an exceed ngly important
neriod. i'm which the educational anu
scientific work of this branch OF the GOV
eminent service should prove OF the
greatest value.
| No better idea of the forward STRIDES
| being made by the office OF public
roads can be had than
This Years from figures connect
!. ed with the annual
Estimates. appropriations. The
i appropriation for the present hscal
/ wear is $41.4OO more than that Tor the
preceding year, while the estimate Tor
f; the fiscal year of 1913-l914 is $ls4'-
| 1870 more than the present allotment
| One of the items mentioned in connection
with the appropriation for the coming
| fiscal year is roadmaking investiga-
| ton. for which work an increase OF
/ sS9. 900 is asked. The present amount
available for such work is $4,000. The
/ next highest increase is asked for road
management. $31 900, as but $4,000 is
| available this year. The amount now
!, ready for use in field experiments.
| $780, 900, the office would like doubled
| Included in this list of necessary in
creases is one for salaries. thus plac-
| ing the Office of public roads on par
| with practically all other branches Of