The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1914-08-21
AuSTR|A'S MODEL
ROAD SYSTEM
Reputed to Be One Of the Best
10 Europe.
FOUR GLASSES Of ROADS.
Supervision 10 Placed In the Hands
Of Graduates Of Government Schools.
The Cost Of Construction and Recon-
struetion Of Government Highways 10
betrayed by the Government.

betrayed by the Government.
In Austria's road system. reputed to
be one Of the best in, Europe, there are
74,267 miles Of highway. No estimates
Of the original cost of the Austrian
system reliable enough to be worth re
peating ever have been made.
In 1910, however, the government e <
pended $5,56S,290 to maintain 10.O08
miles of what is called there govern
ment highways. inclusive of donations
made toward the construction and re-
construction of certain nongovernmen-
tai roads.
There are four classes Of roads In
Austria. The first class are the govern
ment ~roads-those which are used for
military purposes, etc. Second, there
are the provincial roads which connect
districts of large area. The province
may be likened to the state in this
country. Third are the district roads
which connect towns or are tributaries
Of other roads or lead to railways.
The district corresponds to our county.
Fourth or town class are the roads
which are not included in other classes.
The difference in classification comes
from the difference in administration.
The province. district and town look
after their own roads. The current cost
Of ordinary maintenance is obtainable
only from the government roads. This
includes the construction Of bridges,
erection Of guardhouses, tool maya
zines and purchases of machinery.
Materials used for bridges and cul-
verts are wood, iron and REINFORCED
concrete Of the types found every
where in the United States. Roads are
surfaced with macadan and telford.
Tar is used as a binder almost ex-
clusively. 1t is claimed that the tar.
besides keeping dust down. increases
the life of Austrian roads from two to
three years, although government en-
gineers agree that the durability of the
aggregate has more to do with the life
of the roads than does the binder used.
The average width Of the roads is
from twelve to sixteen feet, with
walks two feet wide on either side.
A majority of the roads built in the
past four years are eighteen and often
twenty feet wide, however.
The cost of construction and recon
struction Of government roads is de-
frayed out of the current government
revenues. No special taxes for roads
are levied. In case any particular
community is particularly benefited,
however, the government withholds
the right to apportion the expense
equally.
Supervision Of roads is in the hands
Of graduates Of government schools,
known as district engineers. Each has
charge Of only seventy-five miles of
road. Under them are roadmasters
who have charge of twenty-four miles
Of highway. These men supervise the
road crew which has to perform all
the work required to keep in order
about three miles of road. There are
in all about 1900 men employed on
government roads. Salaries are low.
Engineers receive from $500 to 5000
per annum. roadmasters from $3.50 to
$500 per year. and keepers from SIS to
SIG a month. All workers are allowed
a pittance for expense money.
The government keeps q severe check
on all its men connected with road
work. They are required to make
frequent reports showing definitely
where every cent of money has gone
and the exact progress of the work.