The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1916-02-10

are 1ic OiiiJ hieauS VI iTdttSPo' "a
ton Leading From Point Of Produc-
ton to Poirt of Consumpton-Pros-
ress of State Road Management.
Prepared by United States department Of
agricultural
The public roads throughout the
country, which constitute the primary
means Of transportation for all agricul-
tural products, for many millions of
tons of forest, mine and manufactured
products and which for large percent
age of farmers are the only avenues of
transportation leading from the point
of production to the point Of consump-
ton or rail shipment, have been I'M
proved to only slight extent. By rea-
son of this fact the prevailing cost OF
hauling over these roads is about %
cents per ton mile.
More than 3JO,CO0,O00 tons are haul
ed over our public roads each year, and
the average haul is about eight miles
from which it can readily be seen that
our annual bill for hauling is nearly
$500 OCO Geo. The cost per ton mile
for hauling Oh hard surfaced roads
should not exceed Is cents. 1t is there
fore evident that if our roads We're
adequately improved Il large annual
saving in the cost of hauling would
result. Railroad freight rates are about
"A mills per ton mile.
Under the system of local manage
ment which succeeded the toll systems
and the road building activities Of the
federal government tax burdens for
road purposes rested almost entirely
upon farm property. Since the cities
generally escaped these responsible
ties and burdens. this condition was
inequitablc, produced Inadequate reve-
nue. and resulted in very widespread
stagnation in the building Of improved
| roads. a further inequity resulted
| from the fact that traffic in its devcl-
opment took no account Of county and
township boundaries, SO that frequent
| ~ the traffic from one county destroy
ed the roads of another county, which
in turn found itself unable to obtain
redress. Modern traffic gave rise to
new and difficult problems Of construc-
ton, which the limited skill of local
officials was unable to solve. Road
taxes were, to a great extent. worked
out by unframed. undisciplined road
hands. Most of the road work con
sisted in patching from year to year
and little tangible progress could b.
shown for the money and labor ex
| pended These conditions rendered
state action ultimately imperative, anl
to take definite action through legisla
tive enactment. Other states rapid!
followed the precedent set by New
Jersey. and this progress was great!
accelerated by the advent of the auto
mobile.
OF the progress Of state road man
agcment it may be said that forty-fou
states have thus far established high
way departments for educational or I'D
ministrativc work, and of these thirt
have made actual appropriation in ali
Of road construction Or maintenance
In all SOS, 100000 had been appropri
ated from state funds between 1S0
and Jan. /, 1915, for construction
maintenance, administration and clr
cational road work. and total o
about $1,000 miles of improved road
is the evidence to show that this c.
, penditure was not in vain. These road
| were built for the most part as join
state and local undertaking, so that
| large local outlay not included in til
| state total was involved. At the pre-:
ent time only the states of Indian:
Mississippi. South Carolina AMI TcNa
have no provision for any sort of stat
participation in road work.
Summarized briefly. the essentia
to successful state highway admini
!, t:ation, as demonstrated by the expo!
encc of the various state highway d.
8 partments, are as follows: (a) II
, elimination Of politics as factor
i state highway work; (b) the control h
: the state highway department Of ii
work on which state funds are c:
= pended: (c) adequate appropriations Il
! continuous maintenance of highway
r under efficient supervision from Il
day the highways are completed: 4
+ state supervision as to surveys. ptal
and specifications OF roads and bridgt
constructed under bond issues and $
y pcrvision of such other road and brid:
Il work as requires considerable cas-
outlay and the exercise Of engineeriI
skill and knowledge