The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1915-07-22
Importance of Road Majnte.
nance and Repair.
[Piscataquis Observer.I

There is no phase of the road problem
more important than that of mainte.
nance. The general impression that
there are certain types of roads that are
permanent is erroneous. No permanent
road has ever been constructed, or ever
will be, according to the road specialists
of the department. The only things
about road that may be considered per.
manent are the grading, culverts and
bridges. Roads constructed by the most
skillful highway engineers will soon be
destroyed by the traffic, frost, rain and
wind unless they are properly maintain.
ed. But the life of these roads may be
prolonged by systematic maintenance
A poor road will not only be improved
by proper maintenance, but may become
better in time than good road without
it.-U. S. Department Of Agriculture.
The foregoing expresses an idea which
has come to me great many times as
have walked or driven over the country
roads: it is what advertisers call the fol.
lowup system.
No matter how good work may be done
on road, as the Bulletin says, it will be-
come worn in places and small stones
will come to the surface in few weeks,
and unless attended to in season the worn
places become holes to make mud puddles
and the stones will lessen the comfort of
the traveller and injure his vehicle.
When was a boy, a man who had
lived in England told me of the work he
did on the mail coach no DIS in that coun-
try. He had to go oversa section and re-
move the loose stones and make neces-
sary repairs just as the section man on a
railroad of today has to look after the
track. | have thought that it would be
a good investment for towns to have men
to look after sections of highway, re-
moving the stones as they appeared and
filling holes while they were small. The
expense need not De large but the invest
ment would be very profitable.
Since the above was written l have
had good illustration of the need of the
follow.up system in the road through the
Lee district in FoXcroft. l went over
that road one morning several years ago
after Road Commissioner Adams had put
it in good shape, and although there had
been heavy shower the previous night,
there were but two small places between
the railroad crossings on Summer street
and the cross roads above tie l. S. Gould
place where water stood in it.
l drove over the same road recently
after a rain and there were numerous
puddles, also places where the earth had
washed off, leaving rocks in the wheel
tracks. blame the system rather than
the present road commissioner for the
condition of the road. Had systematic
been practiced during these
years 1t would have remained good and
even now a split-log drag and a few
loads of crushed rock would put it in
very good condition.
This road is no exception, only an illus
tratlon. This same condition exists in
every town where systematic mainte-
nance is not practiced.
A new law which went into effect July
1st, provides that in every town that has
any State or State aid roads the munich
pal officers and the State Highway Com
mission shall designate certain number
of miles of unimproved road in addition
to the State or State aid road already
constructed and provide for their con-
slant maintenance by the employment of
a patrolman who shall devote his whole
time to the work. This law will in time
lead to systematic maintenance, but it
will be many years before all the roads
will come under it. In the meantime it
will be of great advantage to have the
roads most Travelled looked after as I
have suggested. L.P.E.