The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-09-14
West Virginia Road ManMakes
Able Review and Gives Some
Sound Advice.

OAKLAND. Calf. Sept. IA. D.
Williams, chief of road eng neer for
West Virginia, made the following
address today before the american
Road Congress: Il
When We look over the pages OF
history we see occasionally person
that has lowered above the people OF
his day, but, being before his time and
living and moving on a plane Of life
different from those with whom ne
was associated, has not produced the
maximum fruition owing to the lack
Of support and co-operaDon. This is
true of those leading the highway
movement ID the past. Years berore
the beginning Of the Christian era a
ray of progress burnt forth from the
valley Of the Nile and a mere spot
on history tells us that King Choeps
was a road builder. Nothing more
is known or this work put the IN
duence. Cartilage caught the spark,
lit the new light and passed It on to
Babylon and to Rome. The Roman
development conferred around one
man with whose death the progress
seemed to stop. Tresaguet, Talford
and MacAdams have added their
might and passed from the stage of
action. They laSored so as to leave
the world a true lagancy. Yet, the
things that were suitable to their day
and age are not adaptable to our
time and conditions. Methods and
means of transportation have SO
changed as to make the problem of
the highway one of the biggest, mos.
complicated and difficult that con-
fronts the people of this day and age.
1t has more angles and affects more
avenues of life than any otner social,
economic or scientific question. The
advancement of civil. cation, tns
spread Of commercial influence, the
religious, intellectual, commercial and
home life, the comfort and happiness
of our people are alike dependent OF
the improvement of our highways.
Connecting Link.
The road is the connecting link pc
tween the Industrial center and the
material producing community. 1t /.
the greater factor in the cost of LIVING
"a question that concerns all. Ye
with all this Importance attached t.
1t we have as whole people, unit
just recently, given the hignwa,
problem only passing notice. We nave
believed that any one can build {
road. The problem has not been con
sidered. in many places and by many
a scientific engineering question be
cause the masses have been trained t,
think that the time worn method o
remembering the boys that deliver tn,
votes with job on the road, wa.
right and that merit stood for notn
ling. Many people feel that money ex
pended in engineering is wasted be
cause they cannot see what the en-
gineers save and time has not toll
the worth of durability IN construc
ton. This is due to the engineer.
themselves. They have peen trained
to stand aloof from the people ant
keep their work secret IN the in
terest Of their employer. They hay,
met with railroad and other industrial
officials to talk over and assist in solv
ing their problems. These concerns
have learned The need of engineers am
the pubic here recognizes their use
fulness iu this ield, but the highwa,
that requires all the skill and abilit,
OF the railroad engineer and mucl
more has been used az covering fol
the local political football.
The engineers have not taken tn,