The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1912-05-14


The French system OF roads, long
considered the best in the world, was
bonded by Napoleon Ill. for $4,000
600. Nearly s612,775,OOO has already
been spent on that system.
The general public has very httle
conception of the cost of the construc'
ton and maintenance of good roads
At the International road congress
held in Paris in 1908, the following IL
lustration showed the enormous cost
OF roads gathered from government:
statistics of Great Britain, France
and United States:
Great Britain, $4,000 to $4,000 per
nile; width, 30 to 80 feet.
France, $4,000 to $500 per mile
width % to so feet.
United States. s5,415, average.
The average width Of road surfaced
with macadam is 1872 feet in the I'M.
ted States.
Great Britain costs $3.50 per mile. In
France, 1851 per mile. In the New
England states this cost runs from
500 to a maximum of 5000 per mile.
The Department of Agriculture cal.
culates that 100000 miles Of road
must be improved before the public
road system of the country will be
worth talking OF.
New York state has bonded Itself
for $5O,OOO,00O and 100000 year
is now being expended for good roads
in that state. New York heads the
list Of states which have made prog.
ress. Georgia is second, and has built
1874 miles Of road in five years. That
state employs $500 prisoners on the
pu.nc roads.
Our sister state, Utah, is trying the
employment Of convict labor on the
public roads, and 80 far as is known
the results are encouraging. Prison
labor on public roads is success in
Europe.
There is a general sentiment among
the people that our government must
lend it's aid for the Improvement Of
our highways, as 1t has lent it's aid
for the construction of railroads, the
improvement of our water courses and
the protection of our harbors. There
are at present thirty-five highway
bills in Congress asking for federal
aid for good roads.
A good roads convention is to be
held at Logan, Utah. under the aus.
pices of the Intermountain Good
Roads association, June ~, 10, IA
next. Eight hundred delegates are
expected to be present from Idaho
Utah, Montana, Nevada, Wyoming
and Colorado. Important subjects are
to be discussed at this convention
men of prominence and national repu
ta,ion will address the delegates or
national legislation for the betterment
OF the roads in this country. The of
fetal call for the convention has beer
issued and one clause in the invita-
ton reads:
THE respective governors of thc
states interested are entitled to up
point twenty delegates; commission
ers of each county in said states five
each good roads district or asocll
ton, five; each chamber of com
merce or commercial club, five, anC
each development association or othel
organization for industrial promotion
five"
The Downey-Marsh Valley CONNER
cial club should see that a delegation
is appointed from this part of on
state that we may learn something OF
this very important issue and b,
benefited by the demonstrations to b,
given in good road building. Machiu
cry will be on exhibition for the dele
gates and every effort will be takel
to interest every citizen.
Senator John T. Morgan has said
Not only are good roads pleasant ant
ornamental features Of country, bu
they are the wisest and most econom
ical bestowal of money and labor
Every civilized country is measured
by its roads as much as it is by III
industries, in the estimate that mel
place upon It's value"
HELPING MAKE THE