The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-08-04
Statement Of Q. f. Weller, Chair
man Of The State Roads Com.
mission About FOREIGN Trip.

Commissioner Miller and myself
spent about three weeks on the
other side-one In London, attend
ing the International Road Congress
and the other two in an automobile,
examining perhaps 1900 miles OF
roads in France, England and
Wales. The result of our observa-
ton is not unfavorable to our
roads. The best foreign roads are
not better than the best American
roads. There are simply more of
them. That is the difference. In
Great Britain and Continental Eu-
rope, the bad road Is the exception,
while In our country. the bad road
"a the rule. This Is because the
United States Is in comparatively
new and formative period of its
development, and with an enormous
road mileage OF 2.250.000 miles. to
the improvement of which we have
only been recently devoting our
energies.
During the past year. I have
attended the American Road Con-
gress at Atlantic City. the Ameri-
can Road Builders Association, at
Cincinnati. the Federal Aid Road
Convention. at Washington,a and the
recent International Road Congress,
in England. These gatherings af-
ford an Interchange of ideas and
experiences of road builders and
engineers, and are very instruc-
tive and beneficial. The problem
of modern road building has not
yet been worked out, but it will
be solved in America and not in
Europe. Our country has taken
hold OF this job in earnest, and we
have the money. the brains, the en-
ergy and the courage to work it
out. This fact is recognized by the
Government of France, which has
had NJ. de Pulligny, the Chief En-
gineer OF Roads and Bridges of that
country. In the United States for
nearly year. with q corps of as
sistants, to secure the best and lat
est practice on this important Ques-
ton.
No Intelligent comparison of the
European roads and ours can be
made without taking into eonsid-
Grafton the difference in conditions,
which are much more favorable
there than here. The first point
to be considered is that there is
practically no new construction on
the other side. Their roads have
been In process of building for hun
dnsds OF years. and their problem
much surprised to find in France,
whose patrol system has been held
up to the world as a model, that
little care is being paid to the
maintenance Of their State Roads,
according to modern standards. The
only oiled roads we saw in France
were within a radius Of Is or 20
miles OF Paris, where the motor
traffic - heavy and where the maca-
dam roads are full Of holes and rap
Idly going to pieces. In the 500
miles OF rural French roads we COW
cred In five days. we did not see
single road that had been oiled,
not ono road roller at work, rarely
ever q culvert. very little wheel
traffic. not half q dozen motor
trucks. perhaps not more than a
dozen automobiles a day, nearly all
filled with Americans. and only four
patrolmen at work, and these
were shaping up tho shoulders, and
not repairing tho road. The only
reason tho roads Of France are
good 10 because they have not been
subjected to such heavy automobile |
traffic as We have in Maryland. and |
even as It II. they already show |
signs OF deterioration. II they |
are not protected by a proper top
dressing. within the next year or
two. they will begin to ravel and |
rut. and will degenerate badly.
In England. tho roads are much
better than in France, but even
there a. much care Is not given to
prompt maintenance as we are
to use In Maryland.
When q hole appears in an Eng
lish macadam road. it is not at
once filled In with q patch, but the
holes are permitted to increase un-
III 1t - necessary to rebuild the
road. which 70 then done in sec
Ions OF generally from one-quarter
'f mile to q mile In length. In
other words. they rebuild their roads
'ather than maintain them. This
means q great waste of money land
. q system We could not afford in
'ur State. It should be borne In
mind that England and France are
~ rich as the whole
United States, and that each of
hese countries Is smaller than
ome Of our States. This means
hat they can afford to spend land
10 spend. many times more than
ve do on the maintenance of their
Dads. while their cost Of construc- '
lon has already been paid for. i
Among the many advantages they
ave over u4 are: An euuable eli
nate. without extremes OF heat or
old. and without much frost or
ot weather; a rainfall which is
ust abort sufficient to keep
aacadam road in good shape; no 1
iolent storms or heavy rainfalls;
Lmple draining problems; a level
nd uniform country; a good soil
oundation for roads; cheap labor; f
lore money; lower freight rates a
q road material; cheaper stone;