El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-02-19

even today is most sadly neglected in
many sections of the country. Road
building today is a science and only
those men who have a scientific train
ing and practical knowledge should be
allowed to supervise the construction
OF our highways whether they be ma
tional, state or local in character. To
get the most economical results out
Of the expenditure Of road funds the
best business management and engi-
neering skill must be applied. The
engineers and officials entrusted with
the responsibility of administering the
road affairs of the counties of the
state (TeXas not being represented as
unto, occupy a position of great re-
sponsibility. A failure on the part Of
any official or engineer affects the in
terests Of many people and the entire
movement for better roads.
need Trained Engineers.
We need trained highway engineers
and road builders who will put their
head, hand and heart into the work.
il is rs impossible to get good roads
from the hands of unframed men as il
is to get good houses from the hands
of unframed architects and carpenters.
No man would think of building a
house without the services of eXpeT-
fenced designers and carpenters Meth
er would he want TO place valuable
materials and equipment at the dis
posal of unframed hands, because il
costs more than mere time to nut un-
they are directing the energies Of 9TH
ers where their mistakes will cost more
than their own time. Tt costs money
to train men, but it costs less to train
them collectively than separately. All
make mistakes but we need not du-
plcate them.
This is a day Of specialization, and
the people expect the man who follows
any profession TO be prepared and pro-
ficient in it. They do not expect him
to cover many fields. II they want a
law suit tried they get a lawyer;
horse dOctored, a veterinarian. a tooth
pulled, a dentist; a farm surveyed. a
surveyor: a house painted, a painter,
and the time has come when they want
a road. they realize the need of
a trained road engineer and road build
er. II is as impracticable and unrea-
Sonable to say that every man can build
a road as it is to say that a black
smith can extract and fill teeth or
lawyer paint and paper house.
Many of the fields Of study that
confront the road builder are filled
with hidden secrets that time and re-
search will reveal to the careful, in
vestigating mind. The highway prob
lem is not mastered. but each man who
ATTEMPTS to perform the duties of a
highway engineer or administering Of
fetal owes il to himself and surely to
the community whose funds he is han
rdiing. to equip himself with all the
available information he can possibly
stantly in touch with the men and in
stitutions that are investigating the
problems with which those interested
in the construction Of our roads are
confronted.
Movement Has Grown.
In the early days Of America, road
building was largely confined to the
efforts of local communities. the VII
lagos. towns and cities. The town road
officials directed these improvements,
south appropriations therefor and con-
trolled the work and expenditures. But
this caused the growth of disjOinted
system of roads One town spent more
money and built better roads than the
adjoining town. Thus differences arose
between the local communities, and fin
ally larger unit, the county. took over
more important routes and built roads
OF uniform construction, connecting va
rious portions Of the county in much
more comprehensive and efficient man
ner.