Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1922-11-29
ROAD BUILDING
Economy to Build Better Even if
Less Mileage.


Less Mileage.
One fundamental fact which
stands out in all serious considera-
tion of the great question of road
building and road maintenance in
the United States is that the coun-
Try cannot stand still There must
De enduring progress, or there will
be loss of ground already gained
according to l.. G. Fairbank, general
sales manager of the Firestone Tire
&, Rubber Co.
For the people will not endure the
burden of paying for the construc-
tion of costly highways, only to see
them go to pieces in a year or two
me waste is intolerable; the cost
too heavy to be borne. The i'm
proved roads must last longer, or
they will not be kept up at all.
10 put the problem that way is
TO show that road building must be
better done and road maintenance
must be more careful and more in
telllgent. America cannot sink back
into the mire of highways which had
mo bottom in the winter and no
top In the summer" That period is
past. We must go ahead, as a
people, in the construction, use and
enjoyment of good roads Public
sentiment DEGREES the progress which
economic needs demand
The movement toward heavier and
larger vehicles, on improved roads, is
in harmony with the progress of the
age. 1t marches with the times.
Similar changes are steadily going
on IN transportation by sea and on
inland waterways. They have been
marking and fastening the develop
ment of American railroads. They
characterized the growth of the in
terurban trolley lines, until they ran
into the hard and almost paralyzing
conditions, which were partly the re-
suit OF the war and partly the fruit
of unsound early financing and in
adequate construction and equip
ment, from the beginning.
Everything points to increasingly
powerful and capacious motor We
hicles of various kinds, used in
greater and still greater numbers.
and such transportation will depend
upon and neceSsitate roads solid
enough and scientifically sound
enough to bear the strain to which
such traffic will subject them. The
larger units will drive the smaller
before them, on the public roads as
they have done the same thing on
the steam railways, the trolley lines,
the rivers, the seas and even the
canals.
Since all this is clearly fore
Swallowed and is plainly near at
hand, the only escape from ruinous
expense, in struggling with the road
problems of country which labors
under serious climatic difficulties, in
its sections of greatest population
and heaviest traffic. is to prepare as
rapidly as possible for the coming
era of wonderful motor truck trans
portation by building roads which
can stand up" under the loads they
must carry, and do it year after year,
for long periods.
That is to say, the bodybuilding
Of this rich and progressive but
sometimes wasteful and careless ma
ton will have to be done with more
scientific pains and greater effici-
ency
The Importance of this problem
of government and economics is not
yet fully understood, but it is grow
ing clearer, day by day, as the use
, and enjoyment of good roads, even
good in the superficial and pain
fully temporary sense, make con-
; verts and win favor of the pub
lie that pays the bills.
We must get more years, even
though we have to accept less miles
for our millions poured out in the
building of highways. We must
| move more slowly but with fewer
mistakes. 1t is imperative that
greater value shall be obtained in
building roads, or the widest, most
comprehensive, most elemental and
basic part of our transportation
system can never attain its proper
development.