The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1912-10-10
TO BUlLn GOOD ROADS
Much Can Be Learned Before
Funds Are Expended.
First Learn What Types of Highways
Are Best Suited to Traffic ard Gil
matte Conditions - Millions
Have Been Wasted.


principal methods of raising funds for
good roads, but Director Logan W.
Page of the public roads department
of the government believes that be-
fore plans are set on foot for sccur-
ing money much should be said regard
ing the manner in which such funds
should be expended
1t should not be assumed that sim
ply because a country owns quaTries
from which trap OF limestone rock can
be secured that the expensive macad-
am road must necessarily be built.
The qualifications Of any rock can
not be definitely decided upon until
laboratory tests have been held
Much money has been almost
thrown away in this country, however,
on the construction Of rUck-surfaced
roads, those having the construction
in charge neglecung to call in the
services of expert chemists and using
rock totally unsuited to their traffic or
climatic conditions.
In many cases the results we're dis
astrous, the roads quickly travelling and
going to pieces because the cementing
value was lacking.
A county which shows insufficient
progress to bond itself in a liberal
amount for the purpose of securing
improved roads should keep its money
intact until its officers have learned
exactly what class of roads will best
meet IT'S rpuuirproentc ubat tvna oF
road it is best qualified to construct
and what it can best afford
Those facts can be secured through
the aid of the national government,
the office of public roads, standing
ready to give gratuitous service and
to supply skilled highway engineers
who are qualified to tell what type of
highway would best meet that coun-
tvs requirements and to demonstrate
those decisions by supervising the
building Of stretches of model high
ways, after which local officials may
take pattern.
Millions have been wasted in build
ing roads which local conditions made
impracticable and out of all cost pro
portion to the county's revenue.
There are exceptions to all rules,
however, and Pike county, Alabama,
stands as a glittering exception to the
usual construction blunder. There the
county officials had planned to expend
a large sum in the building of gravel
roads.
". L. Spoon, United States superin-
tendent of road construction, being
sent to make an inspection Of the
countys road possibilities. learned
that 700 miles of important routes
needed improvement.
He figured that the cost of gravel
roads would be $4,000 a mile-plainly
sum greater than the county could
be bonded for.
Conditions, however. were ideal for
sand-clay construction and he strong
ly urged its adoption. BY legal pro
vision the county could be bonded for
only three and one-half per cent. of
the assessed value of the real and per.
sonal property.
The plan was decided upon and an
iooUS VI SAo"1oVU "dS NOCeu, ana SlOU,-
900 worth of the bonds were quickly
sold, being disposed of III $50, 900 allot.
ments.
The first allotment brought a pre-
MUM of 1925 and the second one of
1925. Forty thousand dollars was at
once spent for mules and road-build-
ing machinery and work was started.
With the sum remaining 11S miles
of the finest sand-clay roads in the
south had been built within two years
from the date of the bond issue, a gen
erous sum was still on hand, eight
gangs were at work and the people
were so well pleased that they stood
ready to take up the remaining issue
of $4,000 and expend it in the same