ROAD IMPROVEMENT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3584, 12 October 1905, Page 4

ROAD IMPROVEMENT.

FACTS AND FIGURES. The Economy of Roads Demonstrutcd hy Slntlsdcs. Perhaps lie most cogent argument in favor of 1 !u-; iav; i:u n.. to ..vtablish good roods is that presented I y the economic aspect of the question. That improved means of coimnmiie.. ion between town ; ;nd county is a desideratum all are agreed: but no one argument in their favor will appeal to the taxpayer, who will be culled upon to furnish the necessary funds, so strongly as that of selfinterest. The farmers, who are perhaps more vitally interested in improved highways than any other class, are not yet so impi essed with the benefits it will confer upon them as they will be when the subject has had more ample and detailed discussion. When they are shown the immense saving in horseflesh, wear and tear of harness, wagons, etc,, a saving far beyond any contribution they would be called upon to make in any well-devised system of road improvement, the natural objection which all prudent men have to any increase of taxation, will vanish or be greatly diminished. A paper read by Prof, b, Waterhouse, of Washington university, St. Louis, at a recent convention, deals

A MODEL f:OAD\. ..7 (Hancock Avenue, Gettysburg Battlefield, Gettysburg, Pa.) with this subject in a very convincing manner. He says; “The economic import;; :.ce of good roads has been demonstrated by startling statistics. It has been shown that the traction force required to move 2,000 pounds at a speed of three miles an hour over a level road of iron, asphalt,, loose gravel, and soft sand, is, respectively, 8,17, 320 and 448 pounds. From this statement, it may easily be inferred how costly bad roads are. Iron and asphalt are mentioned for the sake of comparison. It takes a much longer time, and requires a far greater tractive force to haul light loads over bad roads than it does to draw heavy loads over good roads. The unnecessary strains to which bad roads subject teams, harness and wagons are very wearing. Bough usage seriously injures the farmers’ equipment. Improved highways would prevent avoidable depreciation of property and increase the gain of producers.” These are facts Which must appeal to every practical man, whether fanner or engaged in any other occupation which necessitates the use of horses on our highways. When it is conclusively proved that two horses on a good road can do more and faster work than four on roads in the average condition of our present public highways, it seems almost unnecessary to advance any further argument in favor of a change. “Every industry in this land is affected by the condition of its highways. If our countrymen would improve our primary transportation they would lift from American prosperity an annual burden of $500,000,000, and enable the United States more quickly to achieve its commercial ascendancy —Journal of Agriculture.

IiArIDK Out Country Head*. In laying out a road as much attention should be paid to the grade as to the distance. It is better to add ten per cent, to the distance than five per cent, to the steepness of the ascent. The unnecessary exhausting of the team is not only an inhuman but wasteful process. It is better to take a large load easily for a distance of three miles than to exhaust the team in hauling the same load over a rough two-mile “cut-off." No intelligent effort should be spared in laying out the road properly, so as to diminish the wear and tear Of team, harness and wagon, to say nothing of the subsequent pleasure and profit that will be sure to follow the conservation of a first-class road.—-Ru-ral World. Solid Roads the Cheapest. Good roads as “a creation of man and a type of civilized society” is a theme much dwelt upon, and has not even yet received, all the consideration it deserves. But it is well to remember that time is required to build permanent highways, and that such conditions as are found in some foreign countries can only be realized here after generations have worked along some clear line of improvement for many years. Solid, substantial roads arc the cheapest in the end, but they cost a great deal of jnohey. It is injudicious and wasteful to attempt the best and then do it in a shoddy manner. Beit er, far, do less and do it thoroughly.—L. A. W. Bulletin. The Kind o t Roads We Need. Wet weather roads are what are needed. It is 'easy to make roads that are good in dry weather, but to make them good in the wet season requires (jßOWlfidge and skill.—L. A. W. Bulletin.