The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-02-25
$lOO,OO0,OOo FOR SOUTHERN
ROAD BUILDING IN 1917

with the government In building roads
under the federal road act. During
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1917.
the sixteen Southern states will re-
ceive from the government $1,704.s2S,
which, matched by an equal amount
by the states, will make total OF
nearly $3,500,000 for federal laid road
work during this period. During the
whole five-year period the Southern
states will receive over $25.500, 900.
which. with an equal amount they
will have to provide. will mean that
$b0,o00.0 900 for federal laid roads alone
will be expended in the Southern
states during the next five years
One exceedingly gratifying feature
OF the various state reports Is the rap
Idly growing tendency to place the
in the hands of state highway depart
ments. This Is desira BILE, because 1t
is only through sue centralized au-
thority that road work in any state
can be placed upon its frmest founda-
ton, assuring not only a higher grade
of construction and systematic malnte-
nance, but the planning OF state roads
along we'll deflned and comprehensive
lines 80 that they will be of the great
est benefit to all the people. The es-
tablishment OF State highway depart
ments in those Southern states hereto
fore without them has been somewhat
stimulated by the feieral-aid road acs.
which requires the creation OF such
departments before federal aid will
be available.
In addition to the state reports. this
issue contains three general arficies
on road and street work. and the ad-
vantages accruing from better roads
that carry messages OF much interest
and value to everyone desiring to sec
highways In the south built along
modern lines to meet modern u~Hlc
conditions In his article on pubic
Road improvements In the Southern
states" p. st. J. Wilson chief eng
neer United States ONCE OF pupAc
roads. emphasizes some OF the lmpor-
tant matters that can be followed to
adya ntage by those Officials and engi-
neers in direct charge of planning road
expenditures or designing the meth
DDS of construction.
In the article on Advantages Ac-
cruing from Good Roads" by NJ, o,
Eldridge, of the office of Public ROADS,
the benefits to he derived from better
highways are set forth in manner
that will not only prove convincing
70 everyone who reads them. hut VIII
form the basis for strong arguments
in behalf OF any movement in favor
cf good roads and what they mean TO
Gao .aa. maIaen and children Of every
community.
or special interest TO every commu
nifty of the South should be the article
by r. Keith Compton on Modern
Practices in Street Paving" Mr..
Campton has been chairman and con-
sulting engineer of the paving com
mission of Baltimore since its estab-
ment six years during which time So
5SS.00e has been expended toward
changing Baltimore from a cobhle-
stone to smooth paved city. IN this
work every class of modern materials,
including mituminous. brick, ante.
good block and concrete, have been
used. The work in Baltimore covers
such a wide range and was conducted
in such a high grade manner as TO
win the appreciation of engineers
throughout the city, so that resume
of some OF the main features OF Bal
timore street-paving problems should
prove of special value and interest
to every city in the South which Is
endeavoring to work out its paving
problems
A study OF achievements which have
been made in highway work In The
South during the last five years can
not help but impress upon any observ-
er the marvellous progress which has
been made, and the fact that this en-
tire section is thorough alive to the
many advantages accruing from good
roads and the bettering influences
which they have upon the social. re-
ligious. educational and business life
n the pspn}e