Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-02-20
EXPERT ADVICE ON ROADS
United States superintendent
Dodge Tells How to Build Them.
Highways, Good, bad md Indifferent,
Thrown on Screen-Poor Roads
Cost the Most, Says Speaker
why Vermont should Awake.

Un1te0 states superintendent or TOdu CoH- |
structlon, spoke Monday evening at the
high school upon Good Roads" The lee
ture, arraigned by the Commercial club was
illustrated with numerous colored slides
made from photographs of roads of all
sorts and conditions from Maine and
Florida to California and Oregon. Owing
partly TO the large number OF caucuses
held in the city last evening the attend
ance was smaller than the lecture de-
served That Mr. Dodges address was
of unusual practical value was the COM
ment heard at Its close.
The speaker made a strong point Of the
vida influence of roads, whether good or
bad, upon the life Of the people OF the
country. Some of his pictures showed the
damaging effect Of poor roads upon the
vehicles of persons travelling over Them
Mr. Dodge pointing out that the bad roads
were the most expensive kind because OF
the expense OF maintaining wagons and car
riaCes in repair. A picture showing children
on their way to school In muddy road was
followed by the suggestion that in THIS
wav. through wet feet thus incurred,
come colds. Group, serious illness and even
death, with attendant expense to the IN
habtants in every case
Contrasting with the views Oh these pooi
roads and the inefficient schools general
! " found in their vicinity, was Wow
Of n neat. modern SCHOOL house, situated
on a well-buit road, and occupied ny a
college-trained teacher and dry-snod'
healthy children Such n school, indivld-
ually more expensive than the inefficient
tvno was really less costly. for the school
needs of the community could be supphed
with fewer buildings Of the larger ana
better sort, since the good roads enapIeo
the children to travel longer distances An
omnibus carrying 20 children was shown
in another picture. this provision being
made feasible by the low cost and the
ease Of transportation over good roads.
These buses, said the speaker, some
times pick up the children over route
of six miles, and the use Of them is
growing.
Road construction was discussed with
great clearness by Mr.. Dodge. He had
photographs of sectional models showing
how a road should be properly. construct
cd from the foundation up. and show
ing also how drainage should be provided
for. He warned especially against per-
hitting the drainage of land higher than
,
and recommended ditch along the side
of the slope, a few feet above the road
and parallel to IT. This ditch would pre-
vent surface drainage from flooding the
roadway and the bitches at both sides of
the road would keep the highway free
from water. Another warning was against
the old form Of wooden culverts. which
rarely or never join properly with the
surface of the road at either end but
leave humps that damage vehicles
Dirt, gravel and more expensive forms
of road building were discussed by Mr.
Dodge in some detail. He emphasized the
point that a dirt road, made of sand AND
clay. must be constructed of these mate
rails mixed in exactly the proper proper
tons. and that the relative quantities OF
sand and clay must be determined by an
expert, il lasting results are to follow
The same warning applied also to the use
of surface binders The use OF pillow. har-
row and split-log drag In making dir,
roads was explained.
The coming of the automobile and it.
growing popularity. said Mr.. Dodge has
been great incentive to the building oil
better roads, and II is we'll that this /:
SO, for a road suited to automobiles /:
Mt also for other kinds of traffic. On,
slide showed a road in France ovel
which 1900 automobiles pass daily, anC
which is maintained in prime condition
= by keeping a force of road walkers whC
r watch for the slightest evidence OF wea
or damage and report It. Model roads il
Massachusetts, New Jersey and Califor
MIA We're shown and contrasted will
Irimitiye highways in Alaha ma. Ceorci,