Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-10-08
PATROL SYSTEM
FOR PUBLIC ROADS
IS RECOMMENDED
County Engineer Makes Import
ant and Interesting Report to
Levy Court
FULLY EXPLAINS METHOD

The Levy Court today received from
Charles NJ Grukb, county highway
commissioner. Recommendations concern
ing patrol system for the public roads
OF New Castle county, and discussed
the matter in executive session.
The importance Of good roads may
SEEM al first glance Of recent government
rulings 10 have been neglected and national
interests hurt by the curtalling Of all
new road construction excerpt where
absolutely demanded as a military ncces-
sity On second reading this impress
sion as to Government disregard for
improved highways is in measure re-
moved: for We find that the reason for
such c,irtaiIrnent Of oil but strictly mill
tary roads is easily coinprehended as a
desire 10 concentrate forces on essential
work in road bull ling as in other lines
Of business. Further, such essential work
is clearly Differentiated for US when
emphasis IS placed on the maintenance
Of previously constructed roads IN bt.st
possible condition without reconstruction
Our duty-to place our improved road
system in excellent shape and keep -
so-is specifically stated
As in almost every county or state
in which roads were improved Ms early
MS 1903. we too have on hand many
roads entirly out OF date, inadequate 10
accommodate the present traffic
portion of our main through route IS
already under construction TO q higher
type Of road Many other miles Of our
system are IN need of such reconstruction
at once and no doubt but that another
winter and spring will show the structural
defects Of other heavily taveled road
-, Al.
for Road Conven tions everywhere re-
sound with schemes for saving roads
too weak 10 withstand truck pounding.
Most of our county roads on which
need of reconstruction IL now apparent
arc named to be adopted by our State
Highway Department as State roads
and to be hv them reconstructed and
maintained This fact alone would call
for rs to apply our efforts m maintain
ing them IN their present class unt4l 50
taken over Now due - war cOnsitions
and government regulations we can not
expect any immediate relief by further
reconstruction Therefore we must give
special attention and exert ourselves to
keep them serviceable during thus critical
period
We realize II is no small problem to
maintain for all kinds of travel 10 even
trucks weighing loaded l5 tons or moro,
roads constructed tn wlthstaud At great
est ton load Some spots and street
ches are bound 10 fail We can however
accomplish wonderful amount Of good
IN for stalhng many such failures
Az you know, We are resurfacIng many
miles Of our macadam roads with tar
and chips 10 insure a waterproof mat
over their surface This mat must be
- a
light roads arc 10 withstand the traffic
! during wet periods r. moisture IS per-
mitted TO penetrate this surface even in
small spots, the sub-grade becomes
saturated and the first heavy load causes
the stone bed TO settle and soon the
road is cut through On every road
there are certain spots which fail peri
ndically Almost without exception
these spots are loated Immediately n
front Of or on the down grade side Of
clogged drainage pipe, ot an entrance
or lntersectIng road 4 few are found
in narrow cuts where cutters are too
shallow and close TO the stone bed or
where ruts have visited along the stone
metal Such failures might be prevented.
The patrol system IN one form or
another | believe to be the partial So
luton OF this problem Of maintenance
and il is therefore with much interest
| respond 70 your request A. contalne
in your resolution That our county
engineer be instructed 70 work out and
recommend a suitable patrol system for
the roads OF New Castle county and sub
nit same 10 this Court At his earlle.
convenience.
THE FAToRLL SYSTEM
The subject of road maintenance BY
patrol has been in my mind for some
time Even before the passage Of Your
resolution had given much serious
consideration to its details. On lnvesti-
CATION of methods IN neIghborlng States
and counties, and reports from those more
distant, | find various methods OF patrol
TO be IN use, all with apparent good re-
suits
The two most popular III ethods MAY
be described as the gang patrol and the
individual patrol The users of each
are ready TO show particular advantages
of them The method of gang patrol
calls for the division OF road mileage to
districts of from so 10 40 miles. each
district assigned as patrol. This or
binary patrol consists OF from to l. men
furnished with various road equipment
and an automobile truck for carrying of
men and tools and for supplying materials
for repairs. Tins gang rotates from one
end of its patrol TO the other, cleaning
culveTts, bitches, replanking bridges ana
patching the road surface continuously
At times of course it is necessary 10
increase its size to overcome larger re-
pairs and 10 furnish additional trucks
for unloading ears.
The individual patrol SYST en- may
be divided into two classes. first that
class in which the individual patrolmau
Is furnished with n horse and cart and IS
depended upon to do most of his own
hauling; secondly that class IN which the
individual is supplied at intervals with
materials at convenient spots along his
route and he himself is furnished with
merely the small tools and "A wheel
barrow. In either class the work of the
patrolman must be supplemented at
intervals by larger force concentrated
on his district to scrape the sho ulder
into first class shape or make larger re-
pairs than one man can handle. This
means that any individual patrol system
overlaps the gang system.
This combination of gang and IN
dividual patrol, in my opinion. produces
the best results | should favor the
Individual patrolman, furnished merely
with the small tools who should be
supplied at intervals with necessary
materials and whose work should be
supplemented by larger force to over
come work piled up.
TO AVERT LOAFING.
. ~ !. a