The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1915-05-06
HOW MANY MILES
Of ROAD HAVE We

Washington, D. C.-The United
States Department of Agriculture is
now gathering information which,
when complete, should not only give
the total mileage of public roads in the
United State and their cost, but should
serve as a basis for estimating the re-
lative value of the different kinds of
highways. Some $4,000 sets of in
quiry blanks have already been DIS
tributed through the state highway
commissions, and some of these are
now beginning to come back to the
Department. Each set consists of
four cards.
OF these the first asks for informa-
ton on the mileage of different classes
of roads in the country to which it is !
sent. The mileage does not include,
of course, streets in cities and towns.
The roads are divided into 10 classes
as follows: brick paved, concrete,
macadam with the addition of some
substance such as asphalt, oil, or tar,
plain macadam, gravel shell other
hard surfaced roads, sand and clay
mixture properly graded and drained,
ordinary earth roads properly con-
structed, and, finally, unimproved
roads.
The second card asks for informa-
ton in regard to the tax rate for the
roads and the amount of work and
money expended on them.
The third blank is concerned with
the names of local road officials, and
the fourth with the facts in regard to
the bond issues and the indebtedness
of the counties for their road systems.
AS there are approximately 5000
counties in the United States, in many
of which the mileage has never been
even estimated, it is hardly probable
that this preliminary survey will be
exact. The department, however, will
pn able to detect any excessively in
accurate reports for the road mileage
rcr square mile of territory does not
vary excessively. Except in desert or
u~ndevelopcd country less than half q
mile Of public road to every square
mile of territory is rare, while in the
most thickly populated rural sections
the maximum is no more than 2 IL or
three miles. Thus in France, there is
an average for the entire country of
1.76 to a square mile. In Italy, how
ever, this has fallen to SO, possibly on
account Of the mountainous character
Of much Of the peninsula and of Sici-
ly and Sardinia.
In America the average is approx
mately 80 miles, which, in view of the
fact that much of the country is
sparsely settled, seems unduly high.
An explanation however, is to be found
in the fact that in many
states the law provides that each Sec
ton line shall be public road. Thus,
for example, there are in the State of
Iowa alone more than 104, 900 miles Of
legal highways, manifestly a much
larger mileage than is required by
traffic.
When the information in regard to
the existing roads which the Depart
ment is now seeking is complete, is is
the intention to continue the inquiry
year after year in order to ascertain
the durability and economy of the
various kinds of highways. The data
thus collected should be useful to road
engineers all owe the country and it
is hoped that the county agents and
others interested in improvement Of
agriculture will do their best to facili-
tate the collection of the desired in
formation.