The Palatka news and advertiser., 1915-07-16
FOR BETTER ROADS.
Ways in Which the Depart
ment Offers Advice and
Assistance to Com
munities.

Communities interested in the i'm
Iprovement of roads are recommended
| by the department to apply for lee
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 a
number of communities in the same
vicinity to make arrangements for
lecturer are materially reduced.
The number of lecturers at the dis
posal of the department is limited
and it is not always possible, there
fore, to comply with every request.
When lecturer can not be sent, how
ever, the department will loan a set
of suitable lanterns slides to any res
ponsible local association or individu-
al who will pay the express charges.
The only requirement is that the
slides be made of active and practi-
cal use in the community and that
they be returned in good condition in
80 days. In addition, a brief outline
Of lecture to accompany the slides
will be forwarded on request.
In addition to this educational
work, the department is always ready
to respond to requests for practical
assistance which may take the form
of special advice and inspection, su-
perintendence of county roads, road
surveys, experimental road work,
bridge work, or the development of a
model system of highways for county.
To obtain such assistance local au-
thorities should secure a blank form
from the Office of Public Roads on
which to make applications. Re-
quests from corporate villages o. ci-
ties can not be met, however.
Bridge work is one branch of road
building in which the department may
be CT particular service to local au-
thorities. Typical designs have been
prepared and copies of these can he
furnished on request. A few minor
alterations would probably make su"h
a design suitable for special c2nGi-
tio,S, OF al engineer may 5e assign
ed to inspect the site and offer sug-
gestions. 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 model system of highways for
a county which is about to expend a
large sum of money on roads. In
such cases the department assigns an
engineer 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 secure the best possible
drainage and grade, and indicates the
most suitable type and method of
construction, including drainage
structures, to meet the needs and
means of the community. 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 otherwise be
possible.
Road materials are also being con-
tinually tested by the department and
the information thus obtained is
available 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 improvements.-U. S.
Dept Agriculture.