Evening journal., 1918-12-21
urge DRAINAGE
COMMISSION TO
save HIGHWAYS
Continued From FIrsl pagn

continued from first Page.
Ignorance about the State exists" said
MIR. Upton today, but such is the case
right In Washington, and think that a
comprehensive work, such as would
undoubtedly be taken up by the drain
age commission. would put an end TO
this unreasonable attitude and would
also work for the benefit OF the State
and particularly the two lower coun-
Ties where there are millions OF acres
that can and would be reclaimed. Fur
thermore, there Is the road work TO
consider. As engineer II is my duty TO
look after road construction, and in
this case ] agree with DR.. Layton about
the great expense that is being put on
tho roads. And with him. | wish TO
say, that the future maintenance OF
the roads depends largely upon good
drainage.
in fact" Mr.. Upham continued "that
II Drainage Commission Is established,
IL would make at times, roads that are
now impossible. as completely passable
In Kent and Sussex Counties as the re-
suit OF proper drainage. The mante-
nance cost would also be cut down.
As In the case now i'm many, many In
stances, Instead OF rebuilding roads en-
tirely In the lower counties, the Drain
ago Commission and its work would
mean only to reshape the road, and that
alone Is the saving Of 25 TO 80 per cent
In cost. In many cases the saving
would equal one-half and in some others
even more. Yet this reshaping and re-
must be done with all its cost.
Take even now, the road from Ellen
dale 10 Milford. On that stretch there
Is no ditch of sufficient size TO drain
the water. And many other in
stances OF the same sort can be given
throughout the State.
Furthermore" Mr. Upham declared,
''that as the Highway Commission now
eering department ! am willing TO have
that department go with the Drainage
Commission and to use its various find
ings along with its new work. This
would also save the cost OF a new en-
department, and at the same
time make the two commissions work
together properly and In that way
would see that the road work received
Its share OF the drainage activities. We
have the maps OF the State and houses
already prepared, and these also could
be used by the Drainage Commission"
Mr.. Upham then spoke OF the work
on the Philadelphia pike, which he says
Is progressing rapidly. On Penny Hill,
he said that getting through the deep
est rock which has a peak OF twelve
feet. is done now and that there Is just
q little more 20 accomplished, a bar
OF three or four feet. Although the
brick paving has been layed from Or.
B. r. Neasey's place to the Bellevue
Quarry, the road is not open to public
traffic, and especially to heavy trucks,
because the brick are moi properly set
on the second contract of the pike,
which belongs TO Contractor Olson.
there Is a part Of the road. starting
from Frank D. Lackeys place, being
kept up with stone. More than three
miles OF the Philadelphia pike in this
section has been finished which also
means the laying of the brick. This
section is also not yet open to traffic,
as the engineer wishes the road to
settle.
Another subject that Mr. Upham talk
ed of briefly was the new system OF
snow removal for the Philadelphia
pike. A contract has already been made'
he said, TO keep the pike clean Of snow
when the snowfall is three inches or
more. The road will be kept clean by
snow plow that will be hauled by
nve-ton truck. The National Highways
Transport Committee and the War De-
partment are the two agencies that up
held this work, and the cost of this
goes with the State Highway Commis-
sions maintenance committee.
This snow removal, the engineer said.
is fully an economic proposition, as il
helps to keep the roads in better condi-
tion. When there is a big snow fall,
naturally ruts Will be made. and the
traffic naturally follow the ruts made,
wearing that part Of the road.
But when the snow is removed there is
no chance for ruts to form, and for
that reason the traffic win use the
whole road instead Of only part Of II.