The record., 1914-06-18
The PrObl. = II tie Permanent Road.


and the eng: &C M staff of our rail
roads have well understood that the
provision of IN absolutely first class
roadbcd and track, in respect alike
of It's cons:ruc ion, grades aud cur
vaturc; was most intimately relates
to the question of profitable operat
ion; and it is with a clear recognition
of this fact that our larger railroads
systems have expanded during the
past two decades hundreds of mill.
ions of dollars in cutting out curva-
ture, reducing grades, Strengthening
bridges, and increases the weight of
rails and fastenings,
There is today a growing apprec-
iation of the fact that the same
economic conditions apply to the
construction and maintenance of
the country's highways. Here the
matter of grades is not Of such vital
importance: but the Importance of
providing solid and well-founded
roadbed. properly drained, and pro-
vided with a top surface of such a
durable character that it will pre-
serve a true and solid surface for a
long period of years, is receiving
the fullest recognition. 1t is coming
to be und that tie question
of first cost has been given undue
importance; we now know that the
extra initial expense of an absolutely
first class durable road, that is sub
ject to heavy traffic, is, more than
compensated by the elimination of
costly repairs and of the great loss
an Item which has received too
little consideration in the pas,) due
to- the long periods of time during
which the road is out of service be-
cause of repairs.
y few weeks ago, We had occasion to
refer to a repor; of Governor Glynn
of this state, in which he showed
that,there would be an enormous
saving of cost over the present maca-
dam roads, with their limited life
and their exceedingly costly repair
bills, if they were built with a brick
surface upon we'll constructed
foundation. In this report the Gov
ernor states that in New York 9
mile of macadam costing SI2, ,ooc
does not last over ten years, ant
that its maintenance would cos
suit that at the end of ten years tn.
road must be rebuilt at a cost for re-
construction of So, 600 a mile. The
total expenditure for twenty year:
on a mile of macadam road there.
fore amounts to $50, 900, including
$4,000 tor building, $4,000 fol
maintenance, and Sc, 900 for re.
building at the end of the first ten
years. As against this the repor,
pointed out that the total expend-
iture for ten years on a vitri6ed
brick road would amount to $40, ooo
only, estimated at a maximum OF
Sa5, 900 for building and maximum
of $50 year for maintenance.
| We find veri6cation of this re.
port in an address given by Mr..
Will. p. Blair, at the first Canadian
and International Good Roads
Congress at Montreal held last Nav,
the subject of the address being the
economy of vitrifit d brick road.
The author lays stress apon the fac t
that the greatest element in fixing
the economy of anv road is the very
one which is least taken into account:
namely, its out ofrepaIr condition.
On many types of froads, break down
surface is so frequent as to call for
almost complete reconstruction; and
at such times a stretch of road may
be put entirely out of commission.
The sum of the periods of times that
the road is out actual service, coup
led with the smaller loads that can
be hauled over an inferior road, the
broken springs, and the extra wear
and tear of the vehicles, etc., con-
verted into dollars, might equal, in a
surprisingly short period of time, the
entire original cost of the improve
ment.
The author of the paper gives USE
full facts as to the experience already
had brick roads in this country. 1t
seem that the main sree's of Belle
vile, East St. Louis, Alton, and
n,oy;lla in Ill;n,,;s. of Tarra Ii u,,.o