Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-11-27
Comes Here From East TO
Help Agitaie Question Of
Road Improvement
Thinks North Dakota Leqs-
Iatufe will Consider Matter
Next Session

i"oNo " o'o'' q highway tuhu "h'N''
would serve in the building OF a state
sys TEN OF roads and eventually result
In increased state appropriations"
said w. "A. Campbell today. Mr.. Camp
bell has been SEM out by the Asso.
ciated Motor Clubs of New York to
make a study of road conditions in
several states and reached Bismarck
last night.
Plenty Of Agitation.
While North Dakota is backward
IA the building of bituminous roads,
similar to hose built in eastern
states" continued Mr.. Campbell.
is plenty OF agitation here and
in some sections the agitation has de-
veloped into enthusiasm. But agita,
ton and enthusiasm wlll Tot build
What is needed is some rea!
action. Civic aud commercial bodies
should take the matter up with their
representatives in the legislature and
the owner OF ,everysmotor car appoint
himself an alv9stle OF good roads to
further the movement,
4 "The horses Of North Dakota have
been hauling lMg loads knee deep thru
muddy and iynpassable roads. The
and tear on horses, harness and
wagon has been tremendous and the
money wasted in this way alone
would serve us the starting of a high
way fund which would become very
large in a short time.
5 Good Roads Will Help.
Communication has been impossi-
bic between many towns at certain
seasons OF the year because of impas-
sable roads. Farmers having tele-
phones have called up the city market
and received a satisfactory quotation
OF produce but have been unable to
haul it through the muddy roads,
When the roads became passable the
market had changed and he probably
had to accept a lower price. This con-
dition hurts the city merchant as much
as it does the farmer. If the farmer
cannot get 70 town ne cannot purchase
his merchandise.
New York Spends Millions.
New York state spent $4,000, 900
this year to build>1, 100 4niles of bitum.
nous highways, The construction .bas
ing rock and asphalt which was i'm.
ported rom the government lakes in
Venezuela and from the islands OF
Trinidad, British West Indies. At the
last election the voters carried the
constitutional amendment to spend
S%50,000,O00 next year. The eastern
states have seen the economic value
Of highways which are passable at all
seasons of the year and they figure
that the investment is the best That
a be made. But when state high
ways were first agitated in he east
there was a strong objection from the
farming interests and they blocked
every piece of legislation to build
roads. But The budgets were finally
passed and after a lev miles of roads
were Duilt in different sections and the
farmers saw the benefit to be derived
this sentiment changed. Today the
farmer Is a staunch booster and If he
hasn't a state highway passing his
door he wants to know the reason
why.
Money Wasted in East.
money was wasted in the east al
first in costly experiments and make;
shift construction. The road surfaces
looked fine at first, but it was proven
after a while that the5constant pound
ing and pulling OF Increased travel
caused principally by he motor cal
and motor truck and the ruts caused
by narrow tires on farm wagons
quickly raSeled the roads. Then the
maintenance charges became eXces
sive and there was a howl from the
people. Graft vas limited at. Con
tractors were charged with "sk!imp
ing" their work. Eut laboratory tests
proved that the roads were without
ductility; that they released oil and
pitch under the heat Of the sun and be
came hard and brittle in cold weather
Thousands Of cracks were to be seer
and foundations became uneven.
Serious Situation for Engineers.
"The state engineers were then con
fronted with a serious situation The
highway commissioners sent engin.
GERS to Europe to study the famous
Roman roads which were built 1900
years ago and are still held up as
models. The importation of the as,
phal:s from the lakes bordering on the
Mediterranean was cut Of the question
on account If the excessive costs, hut
small quantities were shipped here
and used along the Hudson River,
Then the engineers did the next hest
thing. They went down into Venezue'
la and found that the natural asphalt
deposits OF that country contained the
necessary bitumens for a permanent
and lasting road. Accordingly ar.
rangements were made with the gov.
eminent for the importation OF this
product for use in New York and Mas
%achusetts. which are the leading road
building states.
Cost Of Eastern Roads.
"The eastern roads cost SIS 900 per
nile and the maintenance charges are
very low. In the Northwestern states
they build roads at $4,000 and $1,000
per mile and spend Six times that ,tC
maintain them. The idea foremost in
mind in building "a road should be Its
permanenCy. "A cheap road. sooner