The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-09-22
QUESTION OF OHIOS HIGHWAYS
Should They Be Improved by the State, Assisted by the
Counties, or by the Countless Unassised by the State.
Difference Between the Two Systems.

Etate opened BlQS on SZ,bUU,OUU worth
or work; these bids affected the roads
in some fifty-seven counties and con-
templated the systematic improve
ment of ninety-eight sections of inter.
county highways, each designed aud
so located as to form a part OF com
| prehensive scheme or plan to improve
the roads of the state as a whole:
each link in a great chain of highways
laid out to serve the people Of the
whole state. instead of part of the
state.
That the commissioners of the vari-
ous counties are in full accord with
j the present plan is attested by the
fact that all of the counties but one
have applied for state aid, and are Co
operating with the state highway
commissioner in the selection and To-
cation of the roads to be improved
] The state highway commissioner
might properly he designated as the
Big Brother" Of the county commits
sioners, in that his work in no wise
| encroaches upon their field of endeay-
/ or, since it must be remembered that
the state department is concerned
only with the improvement of the
more important OF intercounty roads
of the state-less than L. per cent of
the whole. Further, it should not be
forgotten that all intercounty con
tracts let by the state, except in very
few instances where the state defrays
the entire cost. must be approved by
/ the county commissioners, and they
have voice in the selection of the ma
terial and sole control over the selec-
ton of the particular route 10 be I'M
proved. In passing II is worthy OF
mention that as direct result OF
! county cooperation every dollar Of
the money appropriated for use this
year will be required to cover the pay
ment Of contracts entered into. or now
under contemplation.
Can't Have Duplication.
But there are other accomplish
ments of the present highway depart
ment which are deserving OF special
mention. Among them may be emu
merated the establishment of a test
ing bureau, which is maintained at the
Ohio State university, and which has
!
! efficiency; the organization of com.
pletely equipped construction, main
tenance and repair, and bridge bu-
reaus; the establishment of inventory
and property check systems; the
/ building OF state experimental
road" as the result OF which
county commissioners and others
interested in road construction
may obtain first hand data in
relation to various types Of road
constructive materials; the organi-
zation OF an educational bureau,
modelled after the lines adopted by
the federal office of good roads at
Washington and which seeks to III
struct road building officials of the
state and counties as to the best
methods of practical and economical
road building. In connection with the
educational work of the state and fed
eral highway departments. 1t has been
said by the United States director of
public roads, Hon. Logan Waller Page.
appointed by Republican president,
the monies available for highway inn
provement are all too small to permit
a duplication of effort and "duplica-
tion of effort" can only be avoided by
conducting an intelligent educational
campaign. Not least among the
achievements OF the department is
the mapping out of the intercOunty
and main market system of the state.
and which gives to Ohio the model
highway system of America. Ohio will
be the first state In the Union to re-
habilitate and properly restore great
portion of the first and only great ma
tional road ever built by the federal
government, and all of this fine, his
toric old highway which runs through
Ohio, thirty miles of which is now
under course of construction. will be
actually placed in good condition
within the next two years.
Plans For Bridges.
Under the direction of the present
highway commissioner. the bureau of
bridges has this year prepared plans
and estimates for more than LIS
structures. II furnishes county COM
missiopers and others with all man
ner OF Information and completed
pldnS lOI any SudAdSlcI VI COUNTY
bridge or culvert structure. free OF
cost
The maintenance and repair bureau
has repaired 105 sections of roads IN
81 counties. making a total of PSI
miles OF roads. GU: of the automobile
license fund. II Is proposed TO grad
ually take over the care OF all of the
more important roads in every coun-
ty in the state. after their initial con-
struction, thus permitting the coun-
ties to devote their energies to the
! construction. maintenance aud repair
OF the less important roads.
Up to within the past year or two.
little attention was given to the test
ing and analysis Of the materials used
} in the construction OF roads. And yet
! the impor,Snce OF such work can not
be oyerestimated. II proper consider
J alton is given to the durability and
: future life of the roads Now. with
the operation OF state highway de
, A.ar,s ,fer.e nr rarf ~