The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1917-03-22
:. ppoRI,EM OF MAINTAINING
InD DIRT ROADS.

~ Morrison, of the Agricultural
TN Mechanical College Of Texas,
A. as.s the following pertinent COM
H ~ on maintenance Of dirt roads,
lea'' should be read by every good
w. w. advocate In community like
Hsmss prairie where we have to deal
tith dirt roads problems, and are just
hasiuning to awaken to our real needs.
EBe says:
!, our frantic efforts to develop
49,, - II road which will carry success
XII fhe burden of an ever-increasing
i 1a;Iy traffic of thousands of motor
qshieles, and to maintain these roads
Economically after they are built, we
IN ant TO scorn, or at least to over
' a,S II the problem Of maintaining the
anm l dirt road. The proper care
4 N our hard-surfaced roads, In the con-
Estruction of which we have invested
Edvpr 4 billion dollars, is an immense
|rroblem, but a still greater one is
M maintenance of our earth roads
Which still constitute nearly 8 per
sput Of our entire road mileage. Not
An sections Of the country have i'm
|1royed roads, but there is no commun-
ljy 90 small or so large, so poor or SO
Man. that it is not confronted with the
lDroblem Of getting the best possible
|<eryice from the earth road. Hard
Esurfaced roads can be obtained only
'by spending more money, but our
|aarth roads can be vastly improved
|gimply by an efficient use Of the funds
which are now being spent with such
'toOr results.
To the engineer or road superinten-
aent who understands what should be
hone to the earth road the problem
5 mainly one Of organization, and the
Greatest obstacles are likely to be le-
Hal rather than technical. The old
4ystem Of working out road taxes was
discarded In France over $50 years ago
because Of its manifest inefficiency,
but In most parts of the United States
Ehis antiquated system is still firmly
Implanted. This makes the situation
Encouraging but not hopeless. The
york can be carefully planned ahead,
BE road hands can be called out a few
1t time, and can be worked under
competent foremen who are continu-
Pusly employed.
In many states contracts are made
Nth the farmers to drag the roads
Pear their farms at certain rate per
'hlle or per hour. If a county is di-
Flded into districts in charge of COM
Eetent f0remen, the farmers in each
District can be called out by telephone
Ft the proper time ana the work can
inspected by the foreman. The road
paging usually interferes very little
ith the farmers regular work. If
Ele district f0remen are regularly en-
FHoyed and supplied with teams, tools
rno extra helpers as required, their
EtorK supplemented by the dragging
ROne by the farmers will keep the
Faas In excellent condition at a COM
'Eatlvely low cost. Each district
aould include 20 to 80 miles of road.
tne best Of the writer's knowledge,
H. plan originated In Minnesota and
Almost universally employed in that
another system which seems to be
slent Is part-time patrol system
1871 Wnicn the roads are divided into
-'Olt sections, usually 3 to 5 miles in
sln, ana q man supplied with the
vpeI tools is put In charge of each
.uVn. This differs from the usual
tiol system in that the man does
. uesote his entire time to the care
Me road, but his other employment
naue secondary to the road work.
AMY engineers claim that the con-
s SOus patrol is not adapted to the
a an.s Of earth roads, but exper-
NJ eaS py the U. s. Office of public
|Mads and rnral onori..--,.z =