The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-01-16
MILL IONS or D DOLLARS
WASTED ON THE ROADS

ing to the market CeuLbTbS buippMo
noints and the large centers Of pop-
NATION and covering distance Of
db0 900 miles would be suficient for
tbe present needs Of the country.
with the 100000 miles Of good roads
now existing. and another 10000
miles which requires reconstruction
and Improvement, the building Of 210,s
600 additional improved highways
would COMPLETE the work, and with
the building Of between 500 to 600
miles Of good roads by each state. an.
nually the work could be done in the
course OF twelve years, and with
everybody richer for the task when
finished. ss
Down to the present time about So
900 miles OF improved highway have
been constructed under the immediate
bdirectlon OF the several state highway
departments. In. 1914 the states ega
pended in round numbers s50.000,000
for road purposes and In 1916 the ap-}
preparations available for this work
amounted to about $b5,000,0OO. In adj
dition, the local expenditures agsre-
gated about $200,Q00,0O0 In 1914. IN
1904 the total amount expended by
the states, counties and townships ioE
road purposes In the United States
amounted to about $50, 100000. n tha
course Of ten years the expenditures:
on this account nearly trebleu. InAh
there Is not more to show for u VI
due to the lack Of Intelligent ana re-
sponsible system in the planning ana
building Of the roads. In the states
that have adopted the policy OF ceii.
trallzed state management the largess
percentage OF improved highways N
to be found. Massachusetts, heads the
list with 51.7 per cent Of improyea
highways; Ohio follows with 1873 pee
cent; New Jersey takes third place'
with 30.S per cent New York Is fourth
in order with 27s per cent ana CON-
necticut Is fifth with 26.2 per cent sri !, I.
proved roads. All these states have
had state highway departments foN
more than ten years.
Various Types.
There are many types Of road and
the cost Of construction and mainfe
nance varies according to the natuf4
md volume OF the traffic they are I'd
ouired to bear. The Introduction d
the motor vehicle has compelled III
marked change in road construction
and In their cost Roads fairly we'll
suited to the traffic ten or fifteen years,
ago. such rs sand and clay and water
bound macadam, will not stand the
strain Of the motor vehicles Of the
present day. Macadam roads sixteen
feet wide and from six to eight inches
thick that could be built ten yearg
ago Tor eight 10 ten Thousand dollay
Ithe mile cannot be built now for ieii1
than ten thousand, and the cost o.
concrete or brick surfaced roads now
ranges from $4,000 to 100000 the mile
Il IA contended with good reason that
while the first cost is greater the cost,
Of maintenance Is less, and that.
therefore. the improved types OF road
are to be desired on economical
grounds, The matter Of maintenance
ID the most serious and difficult prob +
lem In connection with higltwayai n
the United States. Hundreds Of mil
.lIons Oh dollars have been wasted
through tho rapid deterioration Of (
well constructed highways, : because
81 bad financing and the absence Of 4
ANYTHING like efficient engineering SER
vice and proper administration. There
should be sufficient tax levy, based
annually upon careful estimates g i