The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-02
BAD ROADS DUE TO
LACK OF ENGINEERS
The Evils Gov. Glynn Attacks
Blamed to Scarcity Of
Trained Builders.
BOND ISSUES ATTACKED

Soon after John " Carlisle took o..
office of State Highway Comm b. .9r.-
which he now flls. New York ...
engineer and friend. himself q ru.l ..
pert, went TO Albany and talked 'N..r,
over with Mr.. Carlisle
Commissioner Carlisle outlined a r....y
comprehensive scheme OF dealing yv.#
roads. He pointed out that Ns- y.,
state, the richest Commonwealth H. ....
Union hadn't any roads worth mer....
Ing nor even plan for building lr.
The new Commissioner indicated tla, ..
would set a staff of highway cur'uoore t.
work on the big task Of giving the s,s,s
good, wearable thoroughfar"s
The friend who knew all about road,
listened a while. Then he said
That's fine. Carlisle. and the method
OF attacking the Job q. you have on,
lined It couldn't be beat. but how I-e
you going to get the engineers? Tn.
technical schools Of this country have
not yet trained enough young road on.
gineers to SO much as map out state
road programme for you"
Few Good Road Enztnern
The New Yorker did not ovcrsta-o m.
situation There are mighty few GOOD
road engineers I'm this country, and mos.
paving companies and contractors who
build public roads.
That Is one reason why New York Stat.
finds itself In the wasteful predl,afuent
described by Gov. Glynn In his interview
printed In THE SUN on September q
when the Governor said: We are m.
gagged In building 10000 miles Of roads
which will wear out forty years before
they are paid for"
Another cause of the present plight IA
the lack OF public education about roads
This WAS the comment OF Clifford Rich
ardson OF New York. one OF the most e1.
perienced highway engineers in this coun-
try, TO a SUN reporter
The thing that ought to como hrvt
In any consideration OF road building "a
the cost, and the methods OF financing 70
be employed" said Mr.. Richardson. Yet
the question OF how the roads are 10 be
psid for Is commonly the least ON.
sidered thing about them.
Good roads are luxury Let there
be no mistake about II. Lot there he NJ
attempts to evade the point. Trade does
not need fine perfectly smooth surfaced
highways. commerce proceeds by water
and rail and short hauls require only
reasonably hard road surface. Really
good roads are Just an indulgence they
add hugely to our comfort and conven once
but they are not a necessity.
Demand Game Suddenly.
They are suddenly demanded heca usn OF
the hig and increasing motor traffic IN
demand for them came so suddenly tNa'
engineers and every one else were nm
prepared TO cope with Il. What had tcor
good roads before were no longer useful
under motor traffic. And the cry for goo
roads everywhere at once ra scd ssri,u
problems OF financing them
Now. since good roads are, "A |gNvrf.
they ought to be paid for without u.ur.
ring debt. They are Ike motor . p,
themselves. \ farmer puts q $4,000 m,r
gage on the old farm and huss lr ..H..
mobile. The state issues $50 uuu r...
Of bonds and builds a mil. or two OF rosd
Al the end of ten yeas the itrw.r ...
debt OF $4,000 and nothing else. ...
state has a debt OF $40 o00 and nothing
else
That II why New York city is getrue
80 close 10 tho Ideal WAY OF PAYING q.
good roads--out Of yearly income. y,
son r. Lewis, chief engineer OF tho Botr'
Of Estimate. tells THE Sun that ny 1871.
all New York cty's good roads viii be
paid for out Of the c'tys annual take.
and other income. That is the heT
method OF all Of financing roads
"a programme aimed at that roL
should be the chief concern ~ New yr~'.
or any other state since the Governor
has called attention 20 the folly Of .ssu -
Atty year bonds to pay for ten year roads
II may he hoped that an end will he 0ut
to that particular bad practice The mex
step might be to set aside a part o. taNca
for road building each voar avoiding
bond issues a. much as possible. where
bond Issue appears inevitable the lfN
OF the bonds should be less, n POSSIBLE.
than the probable lie or the road