Evening journal., 1917-09-29
MUST CUT SPEEDING
ON RURAL ROADS
County Engineer Would
Save Both Pedestrians
and Highways
NEW WORK IS
BADLY DAMAGED

Unless that portion Of the automo-
bile owners and drivers who contlnu-
ally offend in their abuse Of county
roads under repair and construction,
cease their speeding, County Engineer
James Wilson, to save much unneces-
sary expense to the county and TO pre-
vent the almost continuous and reck-
less disregard for the lives Of others,
will enforce the order OF the Levy
Court, and the provisions Of the road
laws Of the State. and cause whole
sale arrests, which. he says. will be
followed by vigorous prosecution IN
each case.
Il do not desire to take such drastic
action" he said this morning, but
these people seem to want to force me
TO do It, and ! am determined TO stop
the waste Of public money and the
danger to life and limb, that some Of
these speeders daily cause.
This excessive speeding, which is
habitual with large numbers Of auto
users, though not with all Of them,
makes 10 extremely difficult TO repair
with the work and the wOrkmen. and
its effects upon the surface Of the
roads. These people run their cars 40,
80, and in some cases 60 miles an hour,
and they don't wait until a road on
which we are working is completed
until they have torn up the first part
by the suction Of the speeding wheels.
In cases where we are preparing ma
IA
der has had time to settle between the
interstices Of the stones, it is torn out
and scattered TO the winds, and before
they can be finished even the small
stone is torn up by this suction.
You see, after the stone Is laid and
rolled, this fine binder is put on, and
permitted to settle and fix itself in be-
tween the small stones. Then the eX-
cess is swept off, and the road is ready
for the tar and oil, but if the road
is subjected TO this kind of treatment
before the binder is set, it rolls up and
a costly repair is necessary.
This disregard Of results or damage
IS particularly noticeable on the Phila-
dclphla and Concord turnplkes and the
Hare's Corner road. No attention is
paid to the signs, Road Closed" anC
ropes and fences across roads under
i construction or repair are torn dOwT
and run over. We hardly get 800 feel
Of a road done before they have 10 al
torn up. In places where county prs
oners are at work on the roads, w
have TO place watchmen at each enc
Of the road section where the gan.
is at work 10 protect the others. Las
Saturday, for instance, it was ncces
sary TO remove patches from work. OF
the Philadelphia turnpike 20 save then
from the danger Of death or seriou
injury from these cqeeders.
I'VE have lad out several courses f
catch these people, and I want TO Civ
all Of them fair notice that II viii b.
their own fault II they are arrested an,
heavily fined for using roads on vticl
men are working, roads undec renal
or construction, and speeding. The,
even have broken down fences ac.os
roads whicl were dangerous becaus
OF bridges urcer repair. Maybe ston
walls across such roads might ST.
Them but doubt It. BY a recent a'
OF the General Assembly violation q
CLOSED Road" signs is punishable by
fine up TO 500. and l am afraid some
one will pay IL soon.
81 do not want them to compel me {
close roads altogether for five or 81
weeks at a time, while repairs or cor
struction work is in progress, bu
something must be DONE