The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1912-03-28
MAINTAINING
GOOD ROADS.
Various Methods Depend Upon
Local Conditions,
COST IS A BIG FACTOR
The Ideal Highway Of Today Must 6s
Smooth, Durable. Dustless and Cheap.
Says James Owen. Essex County.
New Jersey. Expert

Smooth, Durable, Dustless and Cheap.
Says James Owen, Essex County.
New Jersey. Expert
In discussing the good roads problem
n such an extensive country rs this
one. with it's varying climate, tOpog-
raphy. materials to be used anl habits
Of the people. it would be ha:i for any
one individual to cover the ground. MS
of necessity each mans environment
and experience are limited Yet the
aggregate of such experiences will be
Of value to all
To properly consider the subject In
its entirety it may he wise to indulge
In classification Of the people. the
pavementS and the pay The travel
ing people may be divided into urban.
suburban and rural 1t may be conf
IDENTIFY stated that the requirements
of the psveneutS differ in ciiarncter
practically in accordance with thia
classification except that there may be
n certain overlapping due tn special
conditions This covers two heads
with climate. topography and energy
If the community
Now enters into consideration the
character of the vehicles of today.
which are two, self propelled and horse
drawn Both Of these may be divided
into fast and slow moving hs heavy
wagon and light buggy. the motor
tiucing still other items the iron tire
of the wagon The rubber tire of the
buggy. the corrugated tire Gf the mo
tor truck and ;i. pneumatic tire Of
the automobile All these factors vary
in weight and speed and their effect
on tl,e surface Of the pavement is Of
vital importance
Another point which has nOt yet
arisen is tho sffcci of different pave
ments on the tires nf vehicles 50 far
the owners of such vehicles have been
so busy trying to get something sInmth
to ride upon that hey have been con
tent to pay their iilS for new tires and
new wheels ungruJgiHgly yet in the
future 1t will he ap important esn,toIn.
it factor
There Is still another factu" which
today Is the most inport:'. IL road
| cOlStrnrtiDn--v th,. suppression, Of
dust
Taking all the factors outlined here
tof0re, the problem is to furnish road
| that IL smooth durable diSi. .,ss aud
| cheap. and that problem is t,,'i:iy fac
ing the civilized world VIII, thu
use Of such standard IaveInc.is AZ
| wood block. granite block lltdiDa
sandstone, brick asphalt ;iIl ne Ia.
compounds and with proper are
| the selection and uianufa"ture IF m.
| teriul and n conscientious Gisros:al q
| it in place, in most cases sinoOtI,
dustless pavement will tie secured
| However this point is one for purei
local consideration and cannn. 30 gen
eraliZed upon
| We now come to the maStic prOpOe.
tions in which he maintenance depart
| niert sooner Or later takes IN interest
The asphalt and tar preparations giv.'
u smooth. dnstless and Scrvic"ab),.
road and are desirable for rcsaenfin.
sections and III many cities are nuiver
sal Their maintenance is carried or
in different municipalities in different
| ways. some owning their 0"u repair
ing pIant, others contracting The re
pairs and still; others nt.s@"tiis:: then'
altogether 1T is safe tn &ny, how
ever. that after FIVE years lsn nf these
1 - IN. nf trs hpp1nA
to lie II factor, aIt i,ough the writer has
one asphalt pavement wht.l, hns it"nD
In use for nearly Ten years without re.
imirs or apparent netrssi'v for ihaID.
! wish to nlude to the liunnriai prob
i,,m in road construction and it might
b.. we'll 10 note. t;lc varying channels
from which money cores Taking my
own state as an exa'npie. these ire rs
follows:
CITY Street Pavng.--A part. say
about 80 per rent on property. hhiancc
on the city ut large Maintenance n
city charge
Suburban Towns Streets macadam-
,zed sixteen feet wide general tax.
extra width. local assessments
Rural Towns Mostly developed by
either state roads or county roads
County Roads Main arteral high
ways paid for on bond issue Of the
county. maintained by the county
County road repair system Abandoned
when state roads came into nse
State Roads State pays 33 per cent.
county 5GEa per cent. town iOlA per
cent Maintained BY the county with
contributions from the state Of ant"
mobile money. say ~ per cent
With such varied metisosis of pay
ment for original construction it IN to
be noted that the maintenance cost Is
betrayed by either the county nr mn
nicipality. with the addition of II small
amount from automobile taxes Now
enters the important part of the whole
question of road tnd street mainte
nance and that is the ability and will
ingness to pay
As to ability. that is condition ilard
to gainsay AZ to willingness thai
can be overcome by education TT
properly educate community to high
er ideals and standards. those ideal.
! and standards must first be crystaliZ
, ed on a permanent basis and then Sc