Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-03-06

operated Mt full capacity. Also stone
could be procured from the commercial
quarries already established in the coun-
ty To carry this local stone where de-
sired suggests the need oi "a motor truck.
Farm labor and teams, which nave Oh
past seasons been extensively usch, can
| not successfully handle the material
| should wish to continue the pract'ce Oh
using such local labor, but the days TO
make hay for the farmer are also days
of greatest work for the road builder.
| With the increase of maintenance WORK
| il is evident from the season of 1917 and
especially adjacent to Wilmington that 1T
is necessary TO separate, in great mea-
sure. farm and road work At times when
teams we're most needed they were oc-
c,Ipied with private work resulting IN
| loss of valuable time and car demurrage
for the county.
| For the transportation of labor from
! towns and cities and from the workhousc
! a countv-owned truck has already been
| recommended Such truck could also he
| used in hauling materials from cars, or
| from local sources. II would also seem
| advisable that for hauling material alone
one or more trucks of the five-ton ca
| pacity should be purchased by the coun =
| ty.
| | cannot too strongly recommend To
Won the extension and Intensliication OF
I your present patrol system by the adop-
! ton Of a complete individual patrol sys-
| tenn for all those macadam roads which
are now in good or fair condition. For
| with existing traffic maintenance ON
| macadam roads must be from the begin
ming and continuous
This season many of our normally
| light traffic roads will he called upon 10
bear heavy burdens as dctours during
reconstruction of parts of the Lincoln
Highway. The Naaman's Creek and
| Faulk roads. Lancaster pike, Ferris
Industrial School. State Newport and
Stanton. Oak Tree, stanton to Glasgow
roads and Others. even 10 the WarriCx
road may be included by these detours
IL is urgent then that early attention he
given to their needs
Such other roads ~ the Concord pike.
Rockland road and the principal roads
south of the canal which are now in ex-
cClIcnt shape. may he SO kept by the
individual patrnlman on the job every
day and attending from four To seven
miles
For the application of stone chips fol-
lowing surface treatment and repairing
those macadam roads which arc not now
IN good condition gangs Of labor will
still bc required As last season one
gang to operate within ten to FIFTEEN
miles OF the workhouSc will he furnished
from that institution
The many frost bollS along the principal
roads need immediate attention These
can best he rcmcdied hy the excavation
nf IL To H. inches of the old road and
the renewal by the use of q Telford
foundation {of heavy stonCl and tile
under drain beneath the new surface.
Ninety per cent highway and other roads
to be reconstructed this year CInders would
no doubt serve to temporarily correct
the trouble Ninety per cent of such holls
can he attributed 10 poor drainage ac-
crntuatcd hy the type of road being in
sufficient 10 bridge the excessively heavy
loads over the saturated sub base \
dry earth road Will freeze and then thaw
rs . mud path due Ia soaking up Of
moisture from below The same soaking
up occurs with the base Of macadam
roadway
In the reconstruction of worn out
macadam surfaces other than the Lincoln
Highway the needs ni traffic would Sug
gest the use Of 2l2-inch or 3-inch top
surface of asphalt penetration after the
usual spikIng and shaping Of the roadway
and reinforcing OF the weak spots by
large stone This would apply 10 the
remainder Of the Faux Road and New
Castle toward Delaware City Road as
we'll rs the Middlctown-Odcssa and
Boyd's Corner Mount Pleasant roads
should they be undertaken. On those
roads which have been named to hc
taken by tho State Department ! should
recommend oling and the application Of
the patrol system to retain them IN the
hest shape possible without rcconstruc-
tIon.
Most of the roads oiled last wear will
need a similar treatment at once, es-
pecialIv those Ia toe used as detourS
In order that as much work rs can be
contemplated may be commenced by
the tirst Of MAY. ! should recommend the
definite selection Of roads 10 he repaired
and the advertising for tar, stone, Stag
and gravel at once As last wear to go
ahead now it will be necessary to borrow
money 70 be paid from taxes in October
Nou appreciate the business policy OF
such The amount needed can be ascer-
tanned only after decision Is 10 extent OF
work, certainly not less than borrowed
last year.