The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1925-06-09

Permanent Road.
Although the exact state of road
improvement in the United States at
the present time is not known it is
estimated by the Department of Ag-
riculture that the total mileage of sur
face roads at the end of 1924 was be-
tween 100000 and 475,000. Indications
are that approximately 10000 miles of
surfaced roads of various types have
been built during each year since
1921.
Exact figures as to how this mile
age has been divided by types or
states are not available. A consider
able part of the work, moreover, has
consisted of resurfacing. 1t therefore
cannot be assumed that the net mile
age of surfaced roads has been in
creased during the last three years by
the total amount of the new construc-
ton. The last complete survey OF the
road improvement situation was made
in 1921, when the total surfaced mile
age was reckoned at 387 700 miles.
New construction and resurfacing
since 1921 have proceeded at a rate
which is believed to justify the esti
mate that the net gain since then is
we'll above 10000 miles.
Wrong Ideas Current.
In announcing these facts the de-
partment draws attention to certain
wrong ideas that are current about
road Improvement. Improved roads, it
says, are not luxuries. For the move
ment of every vehicle over road there
is certain cost, which is less if the
road be improved than if it be left
in a state of nature. Logically, there
fore, the only limit that should be
placed on expenditure for road inn
provement is the amount that can be
saved in vehicular operating costs.
This amount Of course, depends up
on the number of vehicles using the
road. 1t is pointed out that the coun-
try loses more in increased cost of
operating vehicles by not improving
roads than it costs to improve them.
In other words it pays for improved
roads whether it has them or not, and
it pays less by having them than by
not having them.
Another common error, says the de-
partment, is that all roads should be
hard surfaced Hard surfacing with
concrete, brick, asphalt, stone or wood
blocks is an expensive process. When
its cost is greater than the saving ac-
cruing from the improvement hard
surfacing is not advisable. 1t is pos
sible to make great improvements in
roads without hard surfacing them,
and these Improvements are quite eff
fective in reducing the cost of travel.
Dragged Roads Good.
When vehicles using road are
comparatively few an unsurfaced but
graded and drained road can be made
and maintained in satisfactory condi-
ton by dragging at very low cost. If
the traffic is so great that an unsur-
faced road cannot be maintained in
continuous good condition surfacing
with stone, sand clay or gravel, al
though more costly than simple grad
ing, will generally be compensated by
the greater saving in the cost of oper-
ating vehicles over it. Similarly when
the traffic is greater than a gravel
road will carry a bituminous, maca-
dam surface can be economically APP
Piled.
All roads should be improved, says
the department, to the maximum de-
gree that the traffic on them justihes.
Still another common mistake is the
idea that there is such thing as
permanent road This delusion, says
the department, has been responsible
for much disregarded of road main
tenance None of the state highway
departments, however, any longer
harbors this error. 1t is now thorough
ly understood by these public agencies
that all roads, regardless of type,
gradually depreciate and wear out I'M
der the wheels of vehicles and the ac-
ton of the weather To keep road
in continuously good order it IS nee
essary to start maintaining it the day
its construction is completed.