The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-05-28
EVEN GOOD ROADS
NEED SOME CARE

United States shall be maintained af-
ter construction by the states or dis
tricts through which they run and
which they are designed TO serve and
save.
An enormous sum is expended on
road construction every year-it is es-
timated that the outlay on this ac-
count will amount this year to some
thing like S300,000 000-and a large
part OF this will be wasted unless
provision is made for the maintenance
OF the roads after they have been built.
Good roads wear out whether the traf-
tie over them be great or smail-it is
another case Of painting the post
white, the forces of nature, moisture
and
Drought and Wind
doing the work of destruction until
there will be left nothing but punk
10 paint" New Jersey has had a good
deal Of experience in road building
and maintenance. II was one of the
first states TO have n state-aid road
law and state road department. The
Law provided only so much money 10
aid rural communities in building
roads and there the states interest in
the roads built with its help ended.
NO provision was made for keeping mp
the roads with the result that the work
did not last and what was done this
year in not few cases had TO be done
over again few years later. The
Jersey people have learned some wis
dom by experience and the law now
requires that the money received from
automobile taxes shall be spent in re-
pairing the most important improved
roads; but that no allotment of state
aid for resurfacing and heavy repairs
can be made until after the plans and
specifications for such Improvements
have been approved by the highway
authorities and until the taxes have
been actually collected. The intention
Of the law is good. but 1t does not
work In a practical way as the taxes
are not collected in time to make the
improvements when they are most
needed to take care of the traffic when
il is heaviest. The result is that such
resurfacing as is done without state
aid and then only on the most import
ant improved roads on which alone the
automobile tax money can be eXpend-
ed. Today two-thirds of the state road
funds in New Jersey and large per-
ccntage Of the county funds is expend-
ed on repairs. yet only one page ont
Of twenty of the state road laws re-
lates TO repair work and the prOyis-
ion made for repairs is wholly made
quate.
Many Miles OF Road.
There are $4,000 miles of roads in
the state of which 1883 miles have
been improved with state aid. There
are about $500 miles of secondary
roads and 5000 miles OF local roads.
Colonel +. A. Stevens. the state high
way commissioner, has recently esti-
mated that il would cost over $751;
100000 TO put these roads in condition
TO meet most economically the de-
mands OF the traffic over them Twice
as much money is now being spent for
repairs MS for maintenance in this one
state and the magnitude of the fnan-
cial problem might well shock the
most phlcgmatic Of Jerseymen into a
sensible state Of mind so that In the
end and speedily there will be ade-
quatc legislation to protect the capit;l
invested in the public roads Of his
state.
A very serious fault in the road laws
Of Jersey is that the administrative
work in road building and even the
control over egineering details rests
largely with tho county authorities