The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1913-06-14
HOW MONEY IS
OFTEN WASTED
In the Cause of Good Roads.

Homer J, T.ice, Of Chicago. q
road expert, ia credited with th.
statement that 10000, 900 haA
been wasted ON the roads Of III
nOia in the last fourteen years
during winch period the state TX
pended 100000, 900 in road i'm
provements, 80 that 37t pc, cent
was expended with no permanent
benefit.
Speaking before the ways aud
means committee 1T the Chicago
Association Of Commerce, Mr.
Trice said further:
"a state or a community will
appropriate thousands Of dollars
for building beautiful roads and
then lose sight Of the fact that ap
appropriation should be made Ia
keep them from going to the bad.
Thousands If mites OF roads are
ruined within \ few months be
cause il il not oiled. Proof OF
thia can be seen around u grea,
many cit,es. Near New York
there arc roads which we've con
sttnc,ed NJ approximately the
same time, some oiled and others
not. Those which were syetema
tically treated with the dust layer
are in good condition, whereas
those which were spriukled w,tl,
water have filled up with holes
and have had III the top dressing
scr atched off.
"AntOmohiles do very little
damage to u road that il oiled, for
the reason that such surface az
they teas up is too heavy to be
blown INTO adj ,cent fields by the
wind. Ii torn up, it falls to the
road surface again and Ia rolled
down; whereas, the iine dust from
q watered road will be blown y
great distances Mr. Trice il
strong for building roads either of
macadam or else snrfaeiDg them
with Portland cement aud con
crete pavements, which are quite
popular. lie, like many others,
Mgrees that radical changes are
necessary in present highway
building methods, in order that
the transportation Of agricultural
products can be more evenly dis
tributed. Smaller mileage Of per
maDent roadway which will last q
long tune is preferred TO a larger
mileage Of roadway constantly in
need of repair.
The south has no interest IN the
highways Of Illinois, but it has
immense interest in the cOnclu.
siOns this engineer has reached
aud in the reasons be adduces
from them.
Road building IL in the exper,
mental stage everywhere. Those
pioneers, the Romans, built roads,
wherever their military operations
extended Some Of those roads
exist today. They may be found
10 some remote districts in the
north of England They are easi-
: recognizable by their straight.
ness Of direction, uphill or down.
hill. their natrowDess and he pc
culiar fact that they are paved
with wa erworn cObbled etoDes
They are wholly unsnited to
v heeled traffic, uncomfortable to
walk on aud are wholly superced
ed for traAe by modern highways.
The dirt road wan the road ot
the south. Undralned, 1t was q
delight in summer and q quag
mire in the remaining eight
mOnths Of the year.
II has been said that there are
three essentials to q road; first, a
correct location; second, we'll
drained and properly built road
bed; and, lastly, subsequent and
continued attention to the surface.
The roads Of the south are too
large q subject to deal with In y
short notice rbe model road 10
that whereon the largest load can
be transported with the least 81
pendituIe Of force, and IN the
short est possible distance 10 its
destination.
That the local features are 60
seDtial 10 an obvious fact. A
happy compromise IL inevitable,
where apparent difficulties are
solved The subject IL capable Of
much expansion and will again be
referred to. = Chattanooga Trades
man.
49, 49, Il - SA AAo - 49,