Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1921-12-29

New York, Dec. 28.The officials
and citizens Of Lafayette County may
not realize, perhaps, that through che
sum Of $4,000 which they are re-
ported as contemplating spending Or
as voting to spend in the near future
for road improvement they will share
ito no little extent ii carrying out the
greatest era Of road building and
street construction in history and are
helping their fellow Americans real
ize laudable ambition to make Ann
erican highways the finest il the
world.
Carefully compiled statistics based
upon reports received during August,
September, October and November.
1921, from 1,20l states, counties.
townships and municipalities show
that the Industrial depression that has
existed during the past year has eff
fected the road building program but
slightly. With more than one billion
dollars available all told, and the new
Federal Aid law now in effect and
making $75,000,00O in new funds
available in Federal Aid during the
coming year, the country has never
experienced such road building
boom as the spring of 1922 promises
to inaugurate.
Reports show that during the past
four months new streets and road pro-
jects were announced as contemplated
but not yet voted to a grand total Of
242, 1914, 1913, of which the sum of SILL,
10000 is for roads and $31, 813, 1923
for streets. In addition, the Amer-
can taxpayers during August, Sep
TENDER, October and November, ac-9
tually voted $23s,69O,136 for new
streets and roads and the public Off
Gals sold $14O,656,8O8 worth Of road
and street improvement bonds. For
streets the sum Of $37, 330,174 was
voted and $25,791, 681 in bonds were
sold. For roads the sum voted was
1901 1853, 1862 and the bonds sold were
$114, 1866, 1877. The reports showed
new street inn fovements to be con-
or actually under way in
$50 cities and towns.
With vast sums such as these to be
|expended next year, over and above
amounts previously authorized it can
be readily seen that the American
people are i'll earnest about this mat
ter Of roads and are taking to heart
the fact that eighty-five per cent Of
our highways are yet to be surfaced
and made practicable for modern
motor traffic.
That our cities are making tremen-
dous strides in street paving is indi
Gated in reports from city engineers
to the Asphalt Association, New
York, which indicates that over thirty
million square yards equivalent to
i $50 miles of asphaltic pavement,
thirty feet wide, were laid on city
streets this year. Reports from State
Highway Departments indicate that
jtwenty-three million square yards
were laid on the state highways
while the area laid in counties and
other districts brought the total to
L 8, 10000 square yards equivalent
to 5000 miles of asphalt pavement 10
feet wide. This is more than sufficient
to build one asphalt road eighteen
feet wide from Augusta, Me-, to San
Francisco, Cal, and another from
Augusta Me-, to New Orleans.
The great change has come over
the system of road and street build
ling recently is the realization that
the material of road should not be
capable of absorbing water, but
water-proofed. Not only does ram
percolate through and destroy q road
but when frost comes it heaves the
pavement and foundation. Prolonged
drought is also very harmful to plain
macadam surfaces which become
dusty and ravel.
Impact is new and destructive
enemy of pavements. When a loaded
motor truck weighing with its load
22,5OO pounds and moving at rate
| of fifteen miles an hour encounters
an obstacle on the highway sufficient
| to give the rear wheel drop OF one
inch the effect upon the road is prac-
tically the same as though the total
weight were multiplied by, six. In
sense the truck becomes proJec-
tile and batters the pavement by g
S,ccession of mighty impacts.