The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1914-08-01
The Value of Good Roads

The AMOUNT of money expended each year in the United States in
the building of roads and their upkeep is staggering in its immensely.
1t is estimated that it will not be many years till the annual expenditure
for roads will be over a quarter of a billion dollars. This is the era of
good roads in the United States. The coming of the automobile and
its general use for pleasure and traffic gave roadbuildng a huge inn
petus and there Is a steady increase in the amount of work done on
highways each succeeding year. The money put into good roads in
this country has been of ineshmable value to the people and attess the
growth of civilization and prosperity. State officials and the national
government early recognized the actual necessity of better highways
and are giving their aid to road projects mstnedly.
The government exhibit which will be a feature of the fourth
American road congress in Atlanta, Georgia, during the week of No
vember 9, will include a remarkable series of models showing every
type of road construction from the military roads of Imperial Rome
down to the most modern types of market road and CITY boulevard. Re
productions of the roads built by the French Bourbons, by Napoleon. as
well as the early specimens of macadam road built by John |. Macadam
will make the series historically complete. This exhibit, which is now
being prepared by the United States office of public roads, will also in
clude a dynamometer equipment by means of which the exact pull re-
qulred on every type of road surface can be shown with mathematical
accuracy.
According to Charles P. Light, business manager of the exoosi-
ton to be held in connection with the congress, many of the states ire
arranging for educational exhibits afording full information concernino
roads and the materials of construction. Mr.. Light states that although
the congress is nearly four months off, reservations have alreadv heen
made tor the display OF road machinery, engineering instruments. and
materials of construction, sufficient to fill completely the auditorium. as
well as an additional temporary structure which will OCCUPY the entire
street space extending for a city block and two-thirds of the available
space in a viaduct having a length of two city blocks.
The expenditure last year for road construction and mainten,n
throughout tn United States, says Mr.. Light, was well over Saos-
100000 and will soon pass the quarter billion mark. In view of this
great annual outlay it is almost essential tina: road officials. ontr.cto
and manufacturers get in touch with one another at least NICE = ve,r
under conditions such a aea afforded by the American road congress-.
which is participated in by more than forty great Organizations unde,
the leadership of the American Highway Association and the American
Automobile Association"
AT the headquarters of the congress in the Colorado brIHrr ..
Washington reports ar coming in of the various delegations prepar;no
to attend the congress, some of them as far west IS the Pacific oo,st
The railroads have granted a remarkably low rate, which is ,xoected
to swell the attendance by several Thousands.