The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-09-21
GREAT WASTE
ON HIGHWAYS
SAYS HODGES
NINETY PER CENT OF MONEY
SPENT ON HIGHWAYS is LOST
SAYS KANSAS GOVERNOR. COM.
MISSIONER sUeGS CONCURS.

made before the constitutional con-
yention of Oklahoma on the matter
of road building. The following re-
port OF the governors speech Is ta-
ken from the Kansas City Star and
published because the statements are
as applicable to Oklahoma as they are
to Kansas. Following is the report
of the speech:
Hutchinson, Kas., Sept 19-Be-
cause Kansas wastes as much money
each year on her roads as it costs the
state to maintain its charitable, penal,
| educational and other institutions,
| Governor Hodges is asking for com
mission to standardize and educate
the road builders of Kansas. A lack
of knowledge, practical experience in
road building is the cause of this tre-
mendous waste of money that the
governor is hoping to be able to stop
by an act from the next legislature.
In speech at the Kansas State
Fair here, the governor said:
Waste is 90 per Cent.
sour state engineer, Mr.. Gearhart,
advises us that 80 per cent of the
money invested in roads in Kansas is
wasted We are painfully conscious
of the fact that the road work one
season is but the continuation of the
same piece of road work of pre-
cedng season. In other words, we
have formed the habit of merely irri-
tating the surface, as it We're, of our
dirt roads, when we could construct
dirt road in such a manner that it
would be a permanent highway, by
little careful attention. We need
educated road builders and a good
roads department as an addition to
the other departments of state. We
now have no fixed plan of road build.
ing and even the road districts Of
the various townships of the counties
'p'l dN' dlbllS hllI'ltlll pans anu wv
their work according to the individual
ideas of the man who happens to be
the road builder.
A Real Road Plan Needed.
What we need and must have in
this state is a big commission-men
who will act without pay and who
will give their best endeavOrs to the
work of road building because they
realize the importance of constructive !
road work. Road building is a bust |
ness that stands all by itself. The
road question is a farm question, and
primarily the solution of this prob
lem must be started by the farmer.
THE great railroad corporations
have standardized plan by which
they maintain their roadways. They
begin with a section hand, and over
this little group of men there is
section boss, who has an accurate
knowledge of roadbed and track main.
tenance that he has acquired by ex-
perience. He directs the men whom he
has charge Of over the section boss
there is a man who has more knowl-
edge generally attained by experience,
who is termed the foreman. over the
foreman is a trackage superintendent,
and generally, as official advisor, is a
division superintendent. These men,
from the top town, are experienced
practical men, and in consequence
thereof they get a hundred cents
worth of labor or permanent roadwork
Tor every dollar spent. Unfortunately,
the road work in Kansas has not been
directed 10y scientific road builders.
Must Have Practical Men.
We cannot hope TO accomplish
saving of the vast amount of money
as evidenced by the re- I
port of our highway engineer-until
we systematic our road work and
have practical men to direct the same.
Kansas spent million dollars last
year for roads and highways. No doubt
so per cent or million dollars Of
this money was wasted. This useless
waste of money is appalling 1t is the
more pronounced when We realize that
we waste almost as much money on
roads and bridges each year as We
spend for the maintenance of the
state and al state institutions. the to-
tai expenditure for state purposes be.
ing practically S4,4OO.OOO and the
money wasted on roads, according TO
our engineers report, is not less than
millions. Is it not time to call halt
and devise some system whereby we
can get more lasting highways for
the money spent?"