Pueblo chieftain., 1922-02-18
BY FREDERIC J. HAsK1N

by fNEpEsINlS y. fAShlN
WASHINGTON ID. c.. Feb. 15.-
Road building in the United Sta ties is
one of the nations largest industries.
a million men being employed last
year throughout the construction sea-
son at building and repairing the
country's highways. The roads COM
lpleted of all classes totalled nearly
$4,000 miles. almost enough to Eirdle
the earth at the Equator. 1t was the
banner year in road building in. tho
United States.
I'VE are accustomed to-thinking OF
manufacturing OF steel. iron and the
making Of automobiles as tremendous
productive enterprises" says Thomas
II. Mcdonald, director OF the federal
bureau of public roads. but these in
dustrics. great as they are. are still
not as large as tho business OF high
way building.
This years program OF the bureau
of public roads calls for construction
of at least 10000 miles of federal aid
highways during the 1922 road build
ing season. Programs OF 16 states SO
far submitted to the bureau call for
as much or more new or improved
highways.
According to the government figures
there are 100000 miles of improved
highways or roadways In the United
States, and about 2,5oo.ooo mile. of
mere roadways.
The construction of a national sys-
tenn of highways, which is now in fur,
swing. was provided for by an act of
congress in 1916 and an amendatory
act OF 1921. Both acts call for a ma
uonal system OF connected roads, each
road link in the national chain. bear
ing its due proportion of interstate
traffic, serving with well placed lat
eral roads to distribute and collect the
traffic of the rural section.
The back-breaking drudEery with
the pick and shovel, and crude man
propelled or horse drawn contrivances
which made this kind of construction
work difficult. are things OF the past.
Power propelled road making machin-
cry has been developed. Tho bureau
while they are engaged in becoming
skilled in the handling and manage
ment OF the new road construction
machinery and equipment.
One OF the principal machines evoiv-
ed Is called the mechanical finisher.
The finishcr does away with all OF the
old slow and laborious processes. 1t
drags, constructs. lamps and dresses
the roadway. The preparation of sub
grades is done with machine called
"A homer or razer. This IS equipped
with projecting blades. which plow up
and collect tho dirt or gravel. An
other machine IS known as coring
road crater. equipped with scoops. This
machine will tear UP the hardest sur
faces. and separate the stone from the
dirt by a screening process. Specially
designed mixers and rollers are also
used
Federal aid highways completed and
under construction at the close Of last
year will require in all 10000. 900 tons
of gravel and stone. This means a
million carloads. and Il Is equal to the
total annual production of all CONNER
cial sand and gravel plants In -
states in tho eastern half OF our coun-
try. Federal aid roads which were
under construction or completed De-
cembcr 81 last. called for II .coo. 900 bar
rels OF cement or about onc-sixth of
the largest annual production on rec
ord
The national highway act was pass
I'd by congress in 1915. II required the
creation OF q highway department in
all states as condition OF tho ailot-
iuert Of federal aid. Seventeen states
created highway departments as the
result OF that act. and many others
were strengthened and given larger
funds.
The 1872 program Of the bureau Of
public roads calls for construction
work in all OF the IS states. Under tho
system, where tho state agrees on a
project and to the typo OF highway to
be built. tho federal government