Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-03-21
THE UNIVERSAL ROAD PROBLEM
by Prof. TX. L.. Morrison. Agriculture
al and Mechanical College of
Texas.

creasing daily traffic of thousands OF
motor vehicles, and to maintain
these roads economically after they
are built, we are apt to scorn, or al
least to overlook, the problem OF
maintaining the humble dirt road
The proper care of our hard-sur-
faced roads, in the construction OF
which we have invested over a bill
lion dollars, is an immense problem,
but a still greater one is the main
tenance of our earth roads which
still constitute nearly 8 per cent OF
our entire road mileage. Not all sec
tions of the country have improved
roads, but there is no community so
small or so large, so poor or so rich,
that it is not confronted with the
problem of getting the best possible
service from the earth road. Hard
surfaced roads can be obtained only
by spending more money, but our
earth roads can be vastly improved
simply by an efficient use of the
funds which are now being spent
with such poor results.
To the engineer or road superin-
tendent who understands what
should be done to the earth road the
problem is mainly one of organiza-
ton, and the greatest obstacles are
likely to be legal rather than techni-
cal The old system of working out
road taxes was discarded in France
over $50 years ago because of it's
manifest inefficiency, but in most
parts of the United States this anti
quated system is still firmly implant-
ed. This makes the situation dis
couraging but not hopeless. The
work can be carefully planned ahead,
the road hands can be called out a
few at a time, and can be worked
under competent foremen who are
continuously employed.
In many states contracts are made
with the farmers to drag the roads
near their farms at certain rate per
mile or per hour. If county is di-
vided into districts in charge of COM
petent foremen, the farmers i'm each
district can be called out by tele-
phone, at the proper time and the
work can be inspected by the fore
man. The road dragging usually in
terferes very little with the farmers
regular work If the district fore
men are regularly employed and
supplied with teams, tools and ex-
ira helpers. as rsGired. their work
supplemented by the dragging done
by the farmers will keep the roads
in excellent condition at a compare
lively low cost Each district should
include 20 to 80 miles of road To
the best of the writer's knowledge
this plan originated in Minnesota
and is almost universally employed
in that state
Another system which seems to
be efficient is part-time patrol sys-
tenn under which the roads are di-
vided into short sections. usually 8
to . miles in length, and a man sup
piled with the proper tools is put in
charge of each section. This differs
% Al. a
the man does not devote his entire
time to the care of the road, but his
other employment is made secon-
dairy to the road work. Many engi.
neers claim that the continuous pa
troll system is not adapted to the
maintenance of earth roads, but ex-
periments by the U. S. Office Of Pub
lie Roads and Rural Engineering
seem to indicate that this system is
at least worthy of consideration.
The gravel road probably ranks
next to the earth road in total mile
age. On many trunk highways, OF
course, a gravel surface would be
entirely unsatisfactory, but we must
not overlook the fact that on roads
carrying comparatively light traffic
the annual interest cost of more
substantial pavement may exceed
the maintenance cost of gravel. And
particularly in the more thinly pop
ulated sections of the South ant
West. with low property valuations
gravel will continue for a long time
to be the most widely used surfacine
material. This makes the proper
maintenance of gravel roads para
mount problem in many states.
With this type of road the regu
lar patrol system seems to be the
most economical and efficient, thu
patrol sections being from to II
miles in length. This is especial!
true because a small hole in grave
road, unless Immediately repaired
soon becomes a large hole. A few
large holes mean a ruined road an(