Milford chronicle., 1916-06-09
GOOD ROADS.
The Obtainment and Maintenance of
Good Roads in Rural Districts.


have the honor to submit to my
fellow farmers an effective method to
obtain and maintain good roads in the
rural districts of the state OF Della
ware.
Good roads are the foundation OF
communication and the cOmmunica-
tiOn is the medium of vitalization and
preparedness for business in general
and national welfare
Every politician, if talking politics,
refers to the condition of the public
roads; also the political parties prom
Use better roads, but ii is at least a
mistake to guarantee good roads with
appropriations because our good state
OF Delaware does not possess enough
wealth to make and maintain good
roads.
l take the liberty to make known
the methods, based upon experience
and practice, to obtain and maintain
good roads, without great extra ap-
propriations and without contracting
of debts; but patriotism must prevail,
not only by words, but by work, and
the appropriations o. the county
must be used with public minded
spirit.
AE EOuuLg that 10 NAAI PoAAAANeAA
authority in power should furnish the
necessary material, road machines,
implements, ETC.; material according
to location and situation, especially
where possible, gravel pits should be
provided, because gravel should al
ways be nearby, and ready and handy
for use on the most roads.
The county engineer, the most i'm
portant authority of the practical
road construction, should permit and
determine the proportion of material,
in accordance with the appropriations
and the conditions of road, situation
and location, and in general conduct
the road work.
The farmers, owners and renters,
that is the inhabitants of the farms,
should work OH their adjoining roads
according to the size of the farm, for
their own and mutual benefit, free of
charge to the county, or country, un
der the personal guidance of the road
oYerseer. The road Overseer should
be elected by the farmers of the road
district, out of the road district, be-
cause the road work is a local per-
formance, an affair according to To- |
cation and situation, and the roads |
need personal control and permanent |
care.
The road overseer should be an |
honorable function of dignity.
Supervisors should not be needed, |
because no joining link is necessary |
between the county engineer and the |
road overseer. 1t should be the pride |
of every farmer not only to talk roads |
but to work on the roads. The right
time to work on the public roads
90 80, /
considerable extent, because after the
wet weather is the worst time to work
the soil or work on the farm, but the
rigth time to work the roads.
Just when the farmers have time
to talk road is the best time to work
on the roads, namely, the gross work
in this part of the county according
to the climate and weather conditions,
should be done during the months OF
February, March or November or De-
.cember. but besides the regular road
work the dragging of roads should
be practiced after rain and before
frost.
Help yourself" is a good American
prOveTb
/ beg leave to instance:
Five farms border upon our mile of
road; the inhabitants of these five
farms pay about $50 dollars of county
taxes well if we farmers, for every
$500 taxation, render one 1-team day
of road work, then those ten days of
work according to our situation and
location of road, would obtain a bet ,
ter road and maintain a good road; ,
of course the length of time of road
work depends on conditions of wealth {
er, quality of soil, state of road, etc. ]
In short, the farmers should keep
in good order the roads adjacent to
their farms for mutual benefit. with
their own strength and labor, because
good roads cannot be obtained and e
maintained only on reliance of money t
pprOpriations-bu help of men is I
required. f
The above described method is not
new, but is now an established insti-
tuition Of every town, namely:
The town people have to keep clean j
their sidewalks. a
My suggestions are made in good t
faith and with good intention, and ac- g
cording to my oath to support this S
country. e
H. STUDTE, '
Houston, Del. 4