The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1922-02-08

provide their full measure of economic
service without further attention,
must stop. This, in effect, is the de-
mand of the United States govern
ment as expressed in the recently en-
acted federal aid bill providing $75,-
10000 for road building in 1922.
The provision for compulsory main
tenance in the new federal aid bill is
one of its most important features.
In harmony with the spirit of Presi-
dent Harding's firse message to con-
gress, in which he deprecated the fail
ure to give proper attention to roads
after construction, the new act lays
a heavy penalty upon failure to main
tain roads to be constructed with fed
eral aid
The act defines maintenance" in
its broadcast sense as "the constant
making of needed repairs to preserve
smoothsurfaccd highway"
TO insure that each highway aided
by the government will receive that
kind of maintenance, the act provides
that the secretary Of agriculture shall
serve notice upon any state which al
lows road to suffer for lack of main
tcnancc.
If within 90 days after notice the
proper attention has not been given
to the road, the secretary is authoriz-
ed to proceed to maintain it himself,
and to charge the cost against the
federal funds allotted to that state.
The secretary is further ordered to
refuse to approve any other project
in the state until the amount spent
for maintenance of the project in
question has been refunded by the
state. When the money is paid back
it is to be reapportioned among all of
the states SO that the delinquent state
will lose all but Il small portion.
Even the highest types of pavement
require maintenance at some time or
other, but some moro than others. A
concrete pavement will crack at ir-
regular intervals, and these cracks
must be treated to keep the pavement
from quickly disintegrating. Btu
minous pavcmcnts may roll up and
develop bad spots occasionally, which
spots must be cleaned out and re-
stored. In brick pavcments there are
times when some structural defect
needs to be remcdicd to prevent i'm
pairmcnt of the surface. OIn the case
of secondary pavement types, includ-
| ing the macadam family, periodic re-
Storation and reconstruction are nee
cssary since the advent of motor
driven vehicles.
1t is, therefore, to the interest Of
the various states:
1. To consider, in the selection Of
pavement types, the question of cost
of maintenance over the entire life
Of the pavement, rather than the first
cost alone.
2. TO keep all pavcments in good
state Of repair.
3. 70 keep complete, detailed and
accurate records Of maintenance
costs on all types of pavcmcnts.
A number of states, as for example
Ohio, Illinois, Massachusetts and New
York already are keeping such main
tcnancc records, separating the cost
on the surface proper from the cost
on bitches, shoulders, bridges and
'signs.
In Illinois, for instance, brick and
concrete types are listed as follows in
the last report of the state highway
commission, the figures showing the
average cost for one year Of repair
ing the surface Of mile of 1S-foot
roadway:
Concrete, cement ------$ -$l2.2 "a
Brick, all types, .--$ 6.33
In Ohio, the records ere even more
complete, revealing the following
maintenance costs for one year and
per mile of all widths:
Brick, rigid types -----$ 23.
Concrete, cement -------$ 98.
Gravel, rolled ------------$ 1913.
Concrete, bituminOus $3l5.
Macadam, waterbound ---$ 1891.
Macadam, bituminous 1886.
With the government now adding
it's influence to promote proper main
tenance, it is thought that an incrcas-
sd interest in the keeping Of such re-
Ax.I,