The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1915-05-22
CRUX Of ROAD
BUILDING HERE
Individual Interest In Subject Is
Vital To First Move In
Development
NEW LAW IS GOOD, BUT
Secretary Brown Discusses High
way Construction And Value
OF Legislation

here 7rrws tu be- some mlsnpprr.
pension ns ln the amount and charac.
Ter NJ the work done upOn roads lend.
hg Into Oklahoma city aud apparently
lack ~ Information as ~ the changes
brought about u the state laws GOV.
.rniug the construction aud mainten.
inrc NJ roads Zoo oklahoma. said Sec.
rotary Brown NJ the Chamber NJ Com
nerco his morning.
While much actual rond construc.
.iuu hns been accomplished IN the
IuSt lWU years. aud the roads have
'r"I 'sA 3 Improved TINT fenure has
been % resultant side ISSUE rmuunling
from the road propaganda the oul.
growth ~ lhr sentiment created by the
nmpalgu that has been m progress.
Tile chief object Tor Two Years past
has beru tD secure the enactment of
ADEQUATE rund laws Early In the ugl.
.dti0u for good roads II WAS seen that
better r"ud luws were essential to the
systematic construction and malnten.
iucr Of good roads 10 secure the
NJ proper laws 1t was neces.
'arN to curry on campaign VI edu-
'ation Ia order to convince the people
that better laws were essential 10 road
ana maintenance. aud to con.
Vince them that good roads can he
butt without the imposition Of bur.
leu-omr taxes
Road Building 40 Simple
There never was an organized cam.
puign yet the roud.buildlng ideas are
50 simple and clear when once grasped
that the campaign was surprisingly
systematic Notwithstanding the alb
'eurc " a central governing body.
As the campaigning opened the eyes
N the pcOple as to the manner ~
good roads ~ looked 10 plain
and effective that they were not cun.
tent To await the enactment " law
that would put road making under the
Jurisdiction N county aud state. but
organized locally 10 build nclghborhoud
ronds and later through highways. As
the public saw the benefits the spnti-
ment fur Immediate action spread all
over the state, resulting In Il large
" excellent road work being
lone 10y the voluntary acts NJ interest
'd people In hundreds " cases towns
have been closed enc day IN the week
throughout long road building cam
uaign Ia permit all able bodied men 10
work un the roads The women have
added their help boy giving free din
n"rs 10 the workers The good roads
thus made have not been artlculated
Into state highway system, except In
= couple NJ Instances. but that can I've
done In short order under the opera.
Iiuu ~ the new road law which he
.umcs effective IN month
Cites Eugene Couch
II the critics were to attend some
N the road meetings they would be
amazed TO hear intelligent discussions
N road engineering problems lnclud.
lng drainage outlets. drainage areas.
Julvert construction, rrowulng. sand
'luy treatment cost estimates, etc hy
farmers N the urlghhurhuud Az illus.
irating tu what extent read building
ldcu, have developed among the enter.
prislug farmer, Eugene Cuurhs devel-
npmcnt as road builder Is cited be-
cause hi, ease Is typical ~ others
throughout the state MIR.
Couch II highly Intelligent and pn.
irrprislng farmer hut In no sense n
dreamer or sIpculHtur he owns a
fine fnrm east N Chpclaw CITY "A few
miles The road was M bad ~ roads
ram be- In the black wHIy North Can
1diuu bottoms when not given ntteu.
iiuu The bad roads had been taking
70 heavy toll from his farm earnings.
hut until the awakening, hr. like thou
sands NJ others, supposed II burden
from which no relief WIS possible.
Then came the awakening lie was
told that the black. waNy bottom soil
would make capital roads n properly
treated The ucghhorhood discussed
the natter and then acted not IN a
half hearted hHphazard way. but IN.
tclligontly and Systematically The
township bought grader and the
standard road specifications we're FOL.
lowed In building their roads That
once almost impussuhlp road ls now
the hest In the county II IL kept up
by dragging because Mr. Couch and his
uaphbors studied road building.
Six Miles Of Sand
Nuw, Mr. Couch and his neigh
bors are Insisting that road be- built
1crusN the six miles " sandy country
between the west end ~ their road aud
Oklahoma city The pcuple along trat
stretch ot road hnye hcpme lmbued
with the road building spirit, but that
job illustrates the crying need Of the
new law which puts road building IN
the hands II the county II IL too hlg
n task tO be- accomplished by yOlun
mry contributions alone so because
~ the absence " suitable laws ak
milc. VI bad roads have made wagon
aud automobile communication be
tween oklahoma city aud llarrah.
Mcl0ud, Dale aud shawnee practically
Notwithstanding the re-
of the road N In fair copdi
ton.
'Tho criticism that progress In road.
making has nn, bcrn nv rnpid ~ II
should have been II like the criticism
over the failure 10 throw dirt on Pan