Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-12-10

In speaking today OF good ROADS
and the probable good roads legisla'
ton that viii come before the forth
coming session OF the legislature,
State Engineer Atkinson made some
pertinent remarks concerning the
present methods Of working the roads
and some suggestions AS 10 how
these methods nay be improved upon
by future legislation.
Under our present laws the term
of office OF our road oycrseers and
road supervisors is one year, As we
all concede Experience Is one OF the
best teachers would it not seem bet
Ter 10 obtain the best men possible for
the positions and make their term OF
Office considerably longer, and the
man that makes good be retained as
long as possible Such man be-
comes more valuable as he becomes
more proficient and comes to look on
his work as "A profession Such
man should be given entire charge OF
the construction ald maintenance or
all roads in his township, subject. or
course. TO general supervision by the
township supervisors or county com
missoners in passing upon the eXped-
iency of unusual expenditure Tor spec
ific purposes. He should be authoriZ-
ed to employ such foremen as may
he necessary when It is desirable 10
prosecute more than one job at time
in order to take advantage of the ia
yorable conditions for doing the work.
This road overseer would in few
seasons become familiar with he
character of soil and the physical
conditions surrounding the roads in
his township. so that he could plan
out his work in advance and make his
construction work along permanent
lines, rather than in hapfazard man
ner. as often happens under the pres
ent system. Don't you think that II
our road taxes were paid in cash and
such an office as ! have mentioned
placed in charge that we would have
better roads for the money expended
upon them than is now the case? Does
it not appear that if it could be ar
ranged so that this officer could work
the roads at the proper times and
with an organized force, regardless
of whether 1t was the busy season or
not. and even II it did take the cash
out OF pockets instead of working
1t out" that each farmer who uses the
road would be financially ahead at
the end of the season. leaving aside
all the comforts and pleasures of trav-
cling over good roads?
This road officer could train his crew
so that every man could have par
ticular duty to perform and could he
employed in doing that particular
duty until all of the work of that par
ticular kind that it is proposed to do
has been finished. This is the secret
OF the contractors success, and his
ability to do work cheaply. He has u
perfect organization of forces and a
system for doing each piece OF work.
undertaken. For instance. if the ROAD
officer is working a road machine let
him hold the same men and teams
on this machine until completed
When the work is once started moth.
ing but unsuitable weather should in
terfere with its continuous operation
This continual getting ready to begin,
and quitting work takes lot of time
and consequently, is expensive. I'm
der the present system of working
out the taxes the road overseer has
a full crew one day and a part OF a
crew or different crew the next day.
If all road machine work could be
done in May and June. when the
ground is moist and plastic, it is won
derful how much better road You will
get than when you try 20 work when
the soil is dry and hard or dry and