The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1914-12-23
HAS PLAN FOR
BETTER ROADS
Harrington Intends to Put an
Excellent Scheme Before
Legislature.
WOULD BUILD UP OKLAHOMA

"All that oklahoma needs IL better
roads, said B. H. Harrington, real
estate dealer, and we want thes, Dt,-
Ter rOuds while this generation IL
alive, We want the benefit of them. |
have plan which | want to get be
fore the next legislature for good
roads. II has the question solved, |
believe.
"'rhr plan Is TO lay off rond OK
tending east aud west aud one north
aud south through each county aud
intersectlng at the county seat. let the
respective communities grade aud pre-
pare their own parts, as they will be-
most Interested In that Then instead
" trying tn macadamiZe or pave the
whole width of the road, simply lay
tracks Of say two feet IN width on
cnch side Of the right of way at the
right distance to b. rNHvccd by the
wheels Of vehicles by filling trenches
to Il depth Of several inches with
Clnders or crushed rock, Ccmenting the
whole with concrete.
In this way II solid track can he
established for nll sorts IT travel with.
ont the expense of treating the whole
road. Travel will then take the right
aide inst as In the city.
Retter School Advantages.
with a road ~ this kind the fnrm
or would spend II great deal of time
In town His children would have
better school advantages md IN gen.
cral II would bring the city and cOun
try closer together. II would be only
matter Of short time until auto
mobile bus lines would bc establish
ed between the principal towns, carry
Ing passengers cheaper than any other
carrier can afford to do. AutOmobil"
trucks would carry the farm products
ia the cities and would prove Il more
efficient means Of handling freight
than either steam or electric rail
ways.
The plan embodips Ne working or
c0nvlcts from our penltentiary aud
those confined In county and munici.
pal jalls. In prXHs every man arrest
ed Oh Il Yngrancy charge is put out
on the roads 10 work. We ought Ia
have such law In Oklahoma. II
would work no hardship on the men
and II lnterferes In no way with reg.
ular labor These men, many Of them
this winter. for instance, would be
glad when arrested on vagrancy
charges Ia he put to work for thirty
or sixty days even at low wage rath.
er than be kicked out In the cold. They
would he getting food and shelter and
could save few cents day
Would Pay Small Wages.
II should favor paying nominal
wage, perhaps % cents day and
with those In the penitentiary, lei
each months work on the road short.
IN their terms ten days. Let this ap,
ply even IN the case of those sentenc
ed for life.
THAT gives man something Ia
work for. II gives him another chance
ut life. When man has nothing Ia
work for, when he II not busy, he
brOOds over his condition and his ",
and becomes desperate Give him
something 10 Ito and he has less tim,
TO think about ways Of escape and
means OF revenge.
Some might escape, but n few gel
away ns II Is This plan Of work is moi
only n benefit to the men, hut is bis
advantage To the state. These road,
rsn he built for $500 a mile 10y reg
ular labor. Ry using convict Labor
they can he constructed at Il mucl
lower flgurcr.
another plan would be TO huilt
three roads across the state from
north TO south parallel to the thre,
main railways, then put three acros
ihn state from east 10 west. This cal
nll be done for less than $1,000. 600 h,
convict labor much cheaper Tn,
state of Washington has spent owe
@000OO0 for good roads.
Would Increase Population.
THEIR roads though. are huilt IN,
whole width " the right Of way. whll
this plan would eliminate unnecessar,
expense by simnly laying these con
crete tracks, Washington has hull
two Of these roads from east to west