The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1914-11-26
To THE FARMERS
OF TENNESSEE
BY CAPT. 7. f. PECK,
Commissions of Agriculture.
NEED OF A STATE
HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT.

value of goodroads !, and many miles
OF roads have been built-some grad
ed dirt roads, some macadamized
roads, but very little concrete roads.
The one important item of legisla-
ton the farmers of Tennessee should
urge the next legislature to enact is
law for maintaining our public roads
in the state.
We need, and should hare a state
highway department. With many good
roads are luxury; with the farmer
they are a necessity.
However, if roads are not maintain
ed, if they are not kept in repair, the
land prices will not advance further,
and they may go back. 1t is the prob
lem of maintenance that IL injuring
the cause of good roads in /. great
rsay communities.
Ne ale beginning to wa ~ TO
road needs and spend money to SUPPLY
them. But we are not showing an
equal willingness to keep the roads in
shape after we get them, and when we
do fail in this respect the whole nl1ye.
ment for good roads suffers.
Last year there was spent in the
United States the very respectable
sum of $2O6,O0O,OOO for the building
of public roads. This includes the
money spent by the federal govern
ment, the states, counties, townships
and roads districts. At the present
time AZ out of 48 states have state
highway departments. Ten years ago
there were but Is states where good
roads were considered important
enough to be looked after by state
bureau.
Right now it is estimated that about
10 per cent of the two million miles,
and more, of American highways may
be classified as improved roads"
More than two million miles are yet
unimproved, but we have made an eff
fectiVe beginning.
That part of the battle for hard
roads is pretty well over The value
of the right kind of a road is now
acknowledged, but this does not mean
that all opposition has vanished. The
old bugaboo of increased taxation
stands like the giant despair in the
path of many communities where the
need is admitted. And every time
stretch of really improved highway
is permitted to go down and become
impossible in places, this opposition
gains growth. In nearly every state !
the system of building is fairly good. |
Where road is bonded and built it |
is usually in an improved manned. 1t
is the system Of maintenance that is
a shame and disgrace. We have
yet to learn that when road is built I
it is not built to stand through time
and eternity. Experts may build them
but unless they are looked after by
men with some knowledge of how they
must be maintained their life is short. i
Build the roads right and work out
q system of maintenance and there
will be a vast saving. This will re-
suit in reduction of taxes and will
make the burden of road financing
one that cam be carried better and
will be carried more willingly. The
thing that really scare3 most of us
is not the increased taxation for few
years but the prospect Of having to
go through with the same burden
again in a few years when the roads
have been allowed to go to pieces.
We seem to take it for granted that
q good road will last forever when
once laid, So we pay little If any
attention to it. In short time the
first ruts are making their appear
ance. II it is graveled or a maca-
dam road the passing automobiles will
strip it of its skin. If it is concret-
ed highway the breakup will be slow
or, but just as certain. On the average
road the holes and ruts begin to gath
ar water that stands there till it soaks
through the roadbed. This softens
and helps to wear away the surface
md in few years the highway is
m nearly as bad a shape as 1t was
before it was improved.
State aid is one of the things tina.
helps to put an end to this building
If roads and letting them go to pieces.
When each county or district builds {
ust as it pleases the trained engineer
las very little chance. Under state
lid the state highway engineer has not '
,nly the supervision of the road build
ng, but he can exercise the authority /
# the state in the matter of main /
enance.
AS soon as we get it out of our
leads that the mere election of a man /
o the office of road overseer, high
way commissioner or road supervisor
makes Kim an expert in road building
he better off we are going to be.
Iany millions Of dollars are wasted IA
ach year through permitting some
nan who wanted the office and got
t. to direct the building and main
enance of roads. # the day ever