ROAD IMPROVEMENT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3589, 24 October 1905, Page 4

ROAD IMPROVEMENT.

FACTS AND FIGURES. The Economy <> i 4 *<>°d Koatlw Demon* s/ratert by StntiHticii. Perhaps Mi*irs >st cogent argument in favor of t;,wincut to establish good roads is that jjTts fitted by the economic aspect of fhcouesiiom That improved means of comm unicai-on between town and county is a .desideratum all are agreed • but no ane argument in their favor will appeal Ho the taxpayer, who will be called upon to furnish the neces--nvv funds, so stro ugly as that of selfintero'd The farme <■ *, who arc perhaps ore 'vitally interest ed in improved highways than any ot her class, are not yet so impressed wit h the benchts it will confer upon them as they will be when the subject has 1 iad more ample and detailed discussion. When they are shown the immense saving in horseflesh, wear and tear of ha* " nes9 > wagons, etc., a saving far beyond any contribution they' would be called upon to make in any well-devised systeiti 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 1 rof fe. Waterhouse, of Washington university, St. Louis, at a recent convention, deals

with this subject in a very convincing manner. He says: “The economicim*' pci _.mcc of good roads has been demonstrated by startling statistics. It has been shown that the traction force required to move 2,000 pounds at » spfccd 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 ere 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. Rough 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 farmer or j engaged in any other occupation which i 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.

Laying Out Coontiry Itoadl. 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.' —Kura 1 World.

London fever hospitals can nccomxno'aate 6,000 patients. There were 5,151 constables in Scotland in 1900, or one to every 847 persons. Of the 15,000 foxhounds in the United ■Kingdom, 13,000 are used in England, 1,500 in Ireland and 500 in Scotland. From norVhcrn liussian ports £70,000 worth of paper came into England last year. Formerly Norway supplied all the. paper pulp used. Norway is the only country in the world whose banka hold more specie in their safes than they issue. British banks have only £7O in hand for every £ 100 of issue. The famous eagles which used to haunt the Lakes of Killaraey, making their home in the “Eagle’s Nest” mountain, and living on grouse and kids from ihe farms along the countryside, have been exterminated. The Mexican government is preparing to take decided steps to improve the breed of horses in that country. By a law which has just been passed President Diaz is empowered to enter into contracts with persons who will establish horse-breeding farms.