Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1915-07-15
LECTURER FOR
BETTER ROADS
WAYS IN WHICH THE DEPART.
MENT OFFERS ADVICE AND As.
SISTANCE TO COMMUNITIES

Communities interested in the i'm
provement of roads are recommended
by the department to apply for a lec-
turer on the subject. Lecturers will
be sent at the Government expense
wherever there is reason to believe
that audiences will be large enough to
make the expenditure of time and
money worth while. Whenever pos
sible it is, of course, desirable for
number Of communities in the same
vicinity to make arrangements for lee
lures at the same time, since in this
way the travelling expenses for each
stop made by the lecturer are mater
tally reduced.
The number of lecturers at the dis
posal Of the department is limited and
it is not always possible, therefore, to
comply with every request. When a
lecturer can not be sent, however, the
department will loan set of suitable
lantern slides to any responsible local
association or individual who will pay
the express charges. The only re-
quirement is that the slides be made
Of active and practical use in the COM
munity and that they be returned in
good condition in 80 days. In addition,
a brief outline Of lecture to accom-
pany the slides will be forwarded on
request.
In addition to this educational work,
the department is always ready to re-
spond to requests for practical assist
ance which may take the form of
special advice and inspection, superin-
tendence of county roads, road sur
veys, experimental road work, bridge
work, or the development of model
system of highways for county. 10
obtain such assistance local authori
ties should secure a blank form from
the Office of Public Roads on which to
make applications. Requests from
corporate villages or cities can not be
met, however.
Bridge work is one branch of road
building in which the department may
be of particular service to local auth
critics. Typical designs have been
prepared and copies of these can be
furnished on request. A few minor
alterations would probably make such
. design suitable for special condi-
tions, or an engineer may be assigned
to inspect the site and offer sugges-
tions. In some cases designs by
bridge companies have been reviewed
by the department for the benefit OF
local officials.
Possibly the most important way,
however, in which the department as
sists individual communities in the
betterment of their roads is in laying
out a model system of highways for
a county which is about to expend q
large sum of money on roads. In such
L.
gineer to make a thorough study OF
the district. He ascertains where the
best road materials are, what roads
are the most important and, therefore,
to be improved first, and provides for
the location Of each road SO as to Sc:
cure the best possible drainage and
grade, and indicates the most suitable
type and method of construction, in
cluding drainage structures, to meet
the needs and means of the commun-
ity. When his work is completed the
county officials have at their disposal
the results of an exhaustive study OF
the whole problem and should be able
to carry out the work with far more
efficiency and economy than would 9TH
erwise be possible.
Road materials are also being con-
tinually tested by the department ana
the information thus obtained is avail
able for any community in doubt as to
the kind of road they purpose to build.
Similar tests can also be secured on
dust layers, such as road oils and tars,
and the department will furnish to
anyone instructions as to selection and
shipment of samples. The tests are
made free Of charge when they are
desired in connection with public i'm