, 1920-04-29
SYSTEM FOR HIGHWAYS.
Favored by Wyoming's Highway De-
partment, and Used by Many
Other States.

Although the state highway act only
provides for the expenditure of state
maintenance funds, in the five highway
of the state. in proportion to
each districts assessed valuation, as
compared to the total valuation, the
state highway commission has further
modified this provision by apportioning
the maintenance funds to the individ-
ual counties of the state in accordance
with the percentage which each
county's assessed valuation bears to
the total assessed valuation of the
state, as is required Of construction
funds, which assures proportionately
the same amount of these funds being
expended in each county for maintain
ing he mileage designated as state
highways.
In order to carry out its rogram of
maintenance, the state highway de-
%partInent has adopted the patrol sys-
tenn" which has beer practically uni
Tersally adopted Throughout the couu-
try. The patrol system consists of the
employing of persons, with teams living
adjacent to the highways to be patroled
who are supplied with the necessary
graders, drags and small tools and as
signed IL stretch of road VARYING. ac-
cording to local conditions. from eight
to ten miles in length. Each patrolman
Is charged with keeping his particular
CT rafch nf rnnI q, f;r.t .l,r, ,tn... 80.
all times. He is instructed by main
tenance foremen from the office of the
district engineer, relative to the work
to be accomplished, such as the filling
in of low spots, cleaning of culverts
and approaches, placing gravel, etc.
During the dry summer months all
patrolmen are especially instructed 10
work the entire section under their
care, with graders, Immediately fol-
lowing all rain storms, in order that
any slight damage which may result
from triffic on the wet roads may be
repaired Immediately and NOT perma-
nently damage the road.
The patrol system of maintenance,
as ppNihtCh ny tnt Slulc HiSIlNuN ue-
partment last year, and from reports
of other states which have adopted
is not only the most systematic but
also the most economical. Highway
engineers throughout the country are of
n accord in acclaiming permanent
maintenance as the only method OF pre-
serving roads after construction. Ten
dollars in maintenance applied to a
stretch of road at the proper time will,
without fail, save, in many instances,
thousands of dollars in reconstruction
costs, necessitated by washouts, that
can easily be prevented.
In securing patrolmen, the state
highway department has e%ndeavored to
procure farmers, or others, having
teams, and living adjacent to the roads,
for this purpose. 1t has beer particu-
larry desirable TO secure men for this
work who are interested in roads, and
who will pride themselves in maintain
ing their sections in the best possible
shape with n minimum of supervision.
The state law limits the amount of
money which may be spent for super
vision, md for this reason the state
highway department feels that with the
securing of the best citizens of a com
munity for this work, a goodly portion
of the overhead may be eliminated,
and is always ready to receive sug-
gestions relative to the work being ac-
complished by its employees throughout
the state, whether these suggestions be
favorable or unfavorable to the en-
ploye in question.
Do you send The Sun to a friend in