Road Improvement.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3617, 3 February 1906, Page 4

Road Improvement.

FACTS AND FIGURES. The Economy o t Good Roflds.Demon» strated by Statistics. Perhaps the most cogent argument in favor of the movement to establish good • r.ada is that presented by the economic aspect of the question. That improved ans of communication between town i.nd county in a desideratum all are Vreed; but no one argument in then . or will appeal to the taxpayer, win , i be called upon to furnish the neces : : v funds, so strongly as that of sc;f..lerest. The farmers, who are perhap uore vitally interested in improve. I»hways than any other class, are nc. yet so impressed with the benefits n will confer upon them as they will In when the subject has had more ampb and detailed discussion. When they av-.-shown the immense saving in horseflesh, wear and tear of harness, wagon etc., a saving far beyond any contribution they would be called upon to mak in any well-devised system of road improvement, the natural objection wthic.; all prudent men have to any increas--of 'taxation, will vanish or be greatly diminished. A paper read by Prof. ,c >- Waterhouse, of Washington university. St. Louis, at a recent convention, deal*

(Hancock Avenue, Gettysburg Battlefield, Gettysburg, Pa.) with this subject in a very convincing manner. He says: “The economic importance 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, 330 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. 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 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 ita commercial ascendancy.”—Journal of Agriculture.

Laying Out Country Road*. In laying 1 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, io 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.—Rural World.

Solid Honda 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 are the cheapest in the end, but they cost a great deal of money. It is injudicious and wasteful to attempt the best and then do it in a shoddy manner. Better, far, do less and do it thoroughly.—L. A. W. Bulletin.

The Kind of Hoad* 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 knowledge and skill.—L. A. W. Bulletin.