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Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 178, 14 December 1912, Page 4

FOR BETTER ROADS. The movement for good roads which has been proceeding in the United States for some years past has been prosecuted with that almost religious enthusiasm which the typical American usually reserves for purely private projects. A number of organisations have sprung into being to forward the interests of the movement, and old-established organisations also have been induced to take an interest in it. The latest development is the combination of the various scattered organisations, and the holding of a periodical conference, to be called the American Road Congress. The first congress of the kind was held at Atlantic City n short time ago. The great trouble with the good roads movement hitherto has been the lack of definite plans and methods for handling the immense problem. . The object of the Congress is to provide a definite and comprehensive plan of action. The Congress (says the Scientific American) marks the consolidation of the convention interests of the American Association for Highway Improvement, the National Automobile Association, and the National Association of Machinery and Material Manufacturers. It is convened to deal with every phase of the road subject in an orderly and scientific manner. It is known, for instance, that of the 150,000,000 dollars spent annually upon roads in the United States many millions of dollars are wasted because of unscientific methods. There is an absence of proper supervision of construction and maintenance. There are more than 100,000 officials engaged in supervising road work, and many owe their appointments more to political in--fluence than to their training or ■ competence. This and other vexed questions were discussed at the recent Congress, and General J. C. Black, chairman of the United States Civil Service Commission, in a notable address, spoke very strongly in favor of applying the civil service merit teat to every man engaged to supervise road work. It will be interesting to watch the developments which may follow the decisions of the first Road Congress.