The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-20
WILL MAKE STUDY OF ROAD
CONDITIONS IN VIRGINIA
Engineers of Department Of Agriculture
Soon to Undertake ExhnUs-
tive Investigations.
SIX COUNTIES ARE DESIGNATED
Points of Excellence and Defects In
Existing Systems to lie Discovered
and Revealed to Officials.

washington. ID. c.. May l9.-Detailed
studies OF local road buildinR systems
In 100 counties are now being car
ried Oh by the Department OF Agricul-
turc In cooperation with State high
way departments md local author;-
ties. The following counties In Vir-
sinia have been designated by the
State highway officials. az those In
which the Investigation should be
MADE: Accomac. .Albcmarlc. Augusta
Einwiddie. Frederick and Wise.
The purpose OF this study Is to dis
cover the points OF excellence and de-
ic;ts In existing local methods OF build
ing ana maintaining roads which will
aid I'll" state authorities to put local
r'ad management on II SyStcmntlZcd
basis. Tho cooperating state :tuthorl-
ties nave been asked TO designate.
Counties that present typical and cx-
G ptionai features as To Topography
character Of road materials. methods of
construction and uainteuaucc. admin
iStrotiNc organization. methods of road
financing ana traffic conditions From
these lists 100 counties will be Sc
iect"d. and in these counties the divi-
sion OF road economies will make in
tcnsiVc studies
VERY LITTLE KNOWL;DGE
As TO HEST METHODS
This investigation IS proupt.,i bv
the fact that there Is AT present very
little knowledge as to the most effec-
1--WE ana economical methods by which
Il county can develop It's roads At
present the methods OF financing To-
cal road improvements vary from call
Ing on farmers for a certain number
OF days labor In lieu of a road tax
or the Use OF county prisoners In road
construction, to bond issues or main
tenancc of roads from dram shop Ii
ccnSc funds.
The department will study nil OF
these systems with the view TO deter
mining what system or combination Of
systems work bost in actual practice.
There Is. moreover, at present no
standard system of keeping accounts
Tor road building and maintenance.
and. as n result, while some counties
know 10 q penny the purpose for
which money was spent, others have
no definite check or reporting system
Among various counties with the Same
conditions. cost for excavation or other
Labor is anything but uniform and
many counties because Of tho alb
scncc OF definite Knowledge fail to
use local and cheap materials aud con
struct roads which are unnccessarily
expensive for their purpose or which
Will wear out before the bond issues
are redeemed. Tho investigation will
include careful study OF the use of
convict labor in road construction.
In connection with the scientific
study, the departments highway en-
sinccrs will advise freely with local
officials as 10 improvements. and thus
give each county visited the idvan-
tagc of direct cooperation. engineer
Ing supervision and assistance
These Investigations, II Is believed
VIII yield important economic data
bearing especially on the benefits and
burdens of road Improvement and
showing the extent TO which financial
outlay under given typical conditions
is tustinahe
The heads OF State highway depart
ments are manifestinE great interest
and are cooperating cordially in this
work. These data when obtained Will
be published and thus made acccssi-
BILE TO all county and state road OIL
rinlS.