The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-04-22

hiouSnO the country that ua;n
oTlaHce OF highways is Neglected.
80 - di"aSs a certain enthusiasm
ut beginning of road co-nstruc,ion
which evaporates as soon as tho rnads
are completed and they are then left
10 the mercy OF the elements and me
udnic. n difficulty seems to be
mat the roads are controlled in loco,
communities by officials elected for
snort terms and without regard to
Ineir litness as highway
'S"aily the county supervisor has a
great many duties to perform and
can not be supposed to be an exDert
IN all lines. 1t should be remembered
mat experience gained by local road
OnlclaIS Is gained at the cost Of the
community and is "a valuable qualif-
cauon for future work. Too frequent
~ this expensive training is lost be
cause OF the principle of rotation in
Office. Not only does the highway
supervisor or county supervisor come
to the office without experience in
many instances, but because ne feels
that he Is soon to be replaced by a
new man he cannot plan a systematic
business management Of the high
ways under his control. Highway
management, like any business, should
be planned for a series Of years. There
should be an edquate bookkeeping
system from which the cost per unit
OF the various highway operations can
subsequently be obtained. There
should be . good highway map Of
each county and the roads should be
classified according to their service
and according to their type Of con
StructlOn. There is nc question but
the employment Of q competent
highway engineer by any county
which undertakes road building on a
large scale is AN essential
lion HNH thn iNh RS1Vy- npc how
ever. have ISSUED bonds without con-
sidering that the money should Ice eN-
pended My under . etent engi-
, neering supervision. Already in North
Carolina there rave been issued III
!, to the LIST Of January, 1918, $500
273.25 in highway bonds. Many OF
, these bonds are for q long term ant
. it is questionable whether the road
q can possibly survive until the bonds
, are redeemed.
s It is an excellent plan that has bee,
: adopted in some states TO require thOs'
: counties which issue bonds TO con
struct the roads with such borrowed
: money under the direct supervision
e Of the state highway commission
q There is no question but wha a Ger
y tain degree of Capitalization In high
! way matters is necessary for the hes
results. About 30 states which hav
: state highway commissions. have al
& ready adopted some form Of stat
e aid. It is extremely doubtful II tn
present Widespread mOvemen 70
e road improvement could have eve
q developed without the example an
II encouragement which has been al
e forded by the state aid plan Whic
$ has been in operation Tor the last tW
decades.
= over $4,000 miles OF excellent roac
= have been already constructed at
cost Of something over 100 millions {
dollars under the state highway 81
~ CARNATIONS. 1t Will always he TO ii
II credit Of American highway Cngineel
y that the succeeded in preserving IL
'h vast system OF roads from the Oh
- %structive effects of the new traffic
- motor vehicles, but it must not I
Is inferred for one moment that teh n
Y tomobile has been only q harmful II
- huence to our highways. The aut'
e mobilist has responded to the taAatle
- Of his machine Splendldly. The tol
~. AZ amount Of automobile revenues fro
Az license fees and registrations in 10
~, was over $1,000, go, and in tho
80 states where there are Well develop
v state highway commissions the aut
=. mobile revenue cancelled the cost
maintenance of the state n
- The automobile revenue in Il stat
T. averaged S265 a mile for all the eXls
- ing state roads.
- Not only have automobiles cans
M, increased wear Of the road and :;
lv sumed the burden of this increaS
wear TO & large extent. but he h
nv been the best friend I'll good Toa
o. for the last eight years. All oV
al the country automobile clubs ha
he been enthusiastic advocates OF so
i'll roads and reform IN highway manas
ito ment. Inc uiNeI u ~ 49,. =
of has gone out from the city a
ION discovered the -
which the farmer has iahor
in for generation. He has come
ar- advocate better roads. not OF
ms for himself. but for the gene
sde public as well. mere a.e i'pe'
fu- instances where autoHlopis 49,;
ust tons nave ieao the way III p ~
good road gatherings n securl
red competent speakers, and there are !
few where the autOmob