Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-06-20
ROADS AND
MATERIALS
Roads are Built for the Convenience
of the Public, to Facilitate the Far
mer's Marketing Possibilities and
Aid the Educational and Postal
Systems.

There is hardly another matter in
all the matters of public and civic
interest with which the farmers
have to do, that is more important
than the matter of good roads. For
after all it is by its improved high
ways that community, county, a
State or Nation must travel to-
ward real progress and prosperity.
The roads are the avenues bv which
the general and travelling public NAV
come into the country and get ac-
quainted with it, learn it's possibili-
ties. know its beauties and unde-
veloped resources. It's the road good
all the wear round that makes a mar
ket available to the farmer for the
sale of his products that increases
the value of that farmers land and
its good roads that make possible
good schools in rural districts and a
perfect and adequate system of mail
delivery everywhere. When one has
said these things he has just made a
beginning in the recital of the SER
vices that good roads confer upon the
communities in which they exist. In
word they are absolutely essential
to the development. progress and
prosperity of any county or country
whatsoever. Manifestly the ques.
tions as to the kind of materials te
be used andt he methods of construc
ton are items that concern the peo.
nle who most must use and depend
upon these roads.
And vet it would seem at time:
that about the only people who takt
any interest in these items of roa(
building are the sellers of road build
ing materials and the construction
contractors.
The material men especially seen
to take especial interest in tn,
matter-and why shouldn't they
They presume to dictate to the peo
pie who are to pay for and use tn
roads and upon whom the respon
sibility of maintaining these road
must rest just what materials shal
be used in their construction and al
most if not quite, reserve the figh
to tell the Engineers how the road
should be built.
AS a marked illustration of thi
1 statement is the activity of certai
maerial men in endeavoring to con
troll the situation" on the six mile
Of road improvement west of Wau
seon in Clinton and German town
ships.
There were SO property owner
who will have to pay for this roa
who petitioned their township trus
J tees for a concrete road, this bein
! main market road and part of
through thoroughfare. The trus
} tees of both Clinton and Germa
! placed on file their preference fo
. concrete for this particular piece Q
] road. Here is where Mr.. Materis
| salesman gets busy-and he is ver
: busy-trying to convince these pet
re that it is not concrete but soE
I or slag-or whatever particular kin
IF material the particular agent ma
selling. Certainly nothing wron
about this; but it serves to remin
I US that the salesman "patter" ha
had more to do with the selection {
material than the merits of the m;
terial or the special needs of til
a road under construction. One of tt
: mistakes which has been made in tt
past is he building of roads and the
$ more roads but little or no attentio
paid to the upkeep and maintenant
: of the roads that have been bull
$ Of course this makes a harvest fl
n the material men but its mighty POI
e economy so far as the roads are col
+ cerned. There are main roads tn
are constantly used and for hea1
v traffic that should undoubtedly
:. constructed of reinforced concre
S there are other roads that may
$ with good economy made of grav
or stone or brick as engineers al
road mem of experience may dete
mine.
IL The roads of France and Be.giu
n have been referred to as furnishil
evidence that the stone roads a
= most durable and best; But the ia
0. that these roads are built up
,e foundations laid centuries ago by t
N old Roman road builders and ke
At in repair constantly through all t
,e years by cheap labor of Europe. '
haven't such foundations in this cou
t. try neither have we the cheap lab
J., to keep them in repair. Concre
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