The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-09-07
The Good Roads
Campaign
All Sections of the Country
Dispaying Interest in High
way Building


county, S. c.. with & proposed ex-
penditure of s500,O0O for paving is
one Of 345 states, counties, town.
ships and municipalities announced
within the past week as contem-
plating highway improvement to
grand total of s153,745,254.
More than 000,000.000 is
available for good roads and streets
in the United States. This sum,
large as it is, represents an increase
over the highway revenues Of 1914
of only about $50 per cent, while
highway traffic has increased $50
per cent There are now 100000
miles of highways in the United
States, Of which only an approx
mate 100000 miles are improved
with modern pavements. When
compared to sums expended for
Injuries by the pleasure-loving
pubic the American highway bud
get does not look SO impressive.
The people Of this country spend
$1,000, 100000 a year for candy,
$500, 100000 for autom obiles, ST.
000,000,000 for automobile tires,
S1,275, 100000 for gasoline, $780,
900, 600 for carpets and rugs, ST.
95O,000,000 for cigars, cigarettes,
tobacco and snuff, and s1,650,000,-
900 for jewelry, perfumery and
cosmetics. On the other hand the
.,,,,,e, sxo,+ fo, ,,oodc ooS ctrdotc
are seven times greater than those
expended for water supply improv-
ments, three times those for sewer
age work and fifteen times those
for bridges.
In connection with the road
building program public officials
are casting about to find the types
of pavement best suited to their
purpose and best calculated to
save money to the taxpayers and
those who use highways. It now
costs from $4,000 to 100000 a mile
to construct modern paved high
ways, depending on the dimensions
of the pavement, the kind of ma
terial used and the local conditions
encountered such as labor costs and
sub-soil conditions. NATURALLY the
purpose of the highway officials is
to get the best for the least expen-
diture, consistent with durability
and service.
1T is high time" says NJ. O. Ell
bridge, director Of roads, American
Automobile Association, ito pay
more attention to the effect Of the
various road surfaces on motor We
hicles instead of considering only
the damage by the motor vehicles
to the road. Compare, for instance,
the smooth residence of Fifth ave-
nue., New York (paved with sheet
asphait) with the rough, gritty and
flinty surfaces so often encountered
on country roads, and try to mag
ine what a tidy sum in tire bills
would be saved if we could trav-
Ell on avenue surfaces. The saving
in. tire costs alone would pay the
| difference in construction costs in
many instances"
According to J. E. Pennypacker,
former chief economist Of the Uni
ted States Bureau of Public Roads,
determination Of justifiable outlay
Cor the proposed improvement Of
roads and streets from anticipated
service, should call for at least as
careful a survey and estimate as
the engineer now provides for the
construction work itself. 1T is sug-
gested that for the potential local
| traffic" says Mr.. Pennypacker, "a
zone be plotted to include the ter
ritory that might logically be serv-
ed by the highway after improve
ment. Within this zone the investl-
gator could make an approximate
automobile census and SO >acquaint
himself with the business, indus
trial and social factors and posi-
bilities of the zones as to tabllsh
a basis for estimating both the sat
uration point in motor vehicle ow-
nership and the average mileage
per car. The cost Of operation per
ton mile on the old road should be
ascertained and from this should be
subtracted the estimated cost Of
operation per ton mile on the i'm
proved highway established by
comparative data of operating
costs on highways similar to type
or types under consideration for the
Improvement. This method leaves
to the engineer the same discre-
ton as he now customarily eXercis-
es in selection Of design but sub
jects it to the test OF financial JUS
tigation. This saving in cost of
traffic operation per ton mile when
applied to the total existing and
potential increase in ton miles
gives the gross annual saving in
traffic operation attributable to the
improvement.
The rapidity with which the AM
erican people are turning to dust
less highways is shown in figures
recently compiled by Highways In
formation Service, New York City.
These show, for instance, that dur
ing the past eight years five mil
lion tons of asphalt, a quantity SUI
ficent for $4,000 miles of roads and
streets, or double the entire mileage
of The Route Rationale, the main
highway system Of France, have
gone into roads and streets in this
country. A census of city paving,
recently compiled, shows that of
3Gt,901,611 square yards Of paved