The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-11-24

nail per cenC Ol lllpIoFeu ioouS Ill
the decade 1890 to 1900, there was
falling off in population of three
thousand in each county. In twen-
ty-fve other counties, taken at ran
dom, in which there was an average
of forty per cent of improved roads,
the increase of population in each
county was $1,000. The "back to
the farm" movement will progress
just in proportion to the improve
ment of the highways, and the i'm
prcvement of the highways is. de-
pendent upon administration not less
than upon construction.
How the Work is to be Done.
"There must be skill in the super
vision as we'll as in the building of
the loads. Heretofore at least nine
tenths of the work on the roads has
been done under the direction of
men without any knowledge of road
building, which is an art based up
on a science. There are today
more than one hundred thousand
petty road officials in the United
States who have no practical knowl-
edge of the simplest engineering
problems that must be solved in the
location of the roads, in their re-
laticn to a general system or to re-
lated systems; but who are supposed
to have great influence in neighbor-
hood politics and are mighty at
the polls. 1t is from this incubus
that the problem must be relieved
if the country is to enjoy the bene-
fits of a well-ordered system of
highways.
"Good roads rot only cost a great
deal of money in their construction,
but also in their maintenance or ad-
ministration. 1t has been the habit
in this country to "work on the
roads" when all other work was
done, and this has meant that the
roads have had attention only once
or twice a year. Macadam roads
do rot take care of themselves, con-
crete roads should have constant at
tention, sand-clay roads require
daily supervision if they are to give
service for which they were designed
and built. In France every mile
of road is inspected daily and it is
the constant vigilance of trained
supervision that enables the rail-
roads of the country to take care of
the business of the country. There
ought to be the same sort and de-
gree of supervision of the roads of
the United States if they are to give
the service for which they are built.
To make mile of macadam road
eight feet wide and eight inches
thick, 1850 tons of stone are re-
quired, and to build mile of gravel
road eight feet wide and eight in
ches thick, 1923 cubic yards of
compacted or 1854 cubic yards of
loose gravel are required, and in
order that the best results may be
obtained there must be competent
supervision not only in the mixing of
the materials employed in the build
ing Of the roads of the several types
but in the placing of materials.
Constant Attention Demanded
"There are two million miles of
what are commonly called "dirt
roads" in the United States and to
make them effective there must be
proper drainage. such grading and
alignment as will make them fit for
the traffic and constant surface bet
telment, and it is nothing short of
criminal waste to build roads of ma
caiam and expect them to take care
of themselves. Undoubtedly the
best system of maintenance for all
roads," says the American Highway
AS ssociation, ''is that which provides
for the permanent and sometimes
continuous employment of skilled
laborers who have charge of particu-
lar sections of road, or who may be
assigned to any part of the county
or other road unit where there is
work most needed"
Must Do the Work Ourselves.
To this we would add this, that
uhe work on the roads in the rural
sections of the South must be done
Ly the people themselves, that is, if |
permanent roads are to be built.
Our communities are too sparcely
settled, and there are no large cor
po. ations here, and the railroad
is so small, it is impossible
&c levy taxes sufficient in amount to
tuilG good roads. The people of
The different sections of the coInty