GOOD ROADS. 69 



I have studied the question of road building somewhat, and 

 am satisfied, with others, that our system is wrong; in fact, we 

 have no system. Every road commissioner has his notion of 

 road construction, and whether he be worthy or unworthy, one 

 season is enough for him, and a new man must be elected for 

 the next year ; a continuous A, B, C knowledge of road building, 

 and as often a complete failure in road construction. Why not 

 seek the best possible man for road commissioner, and when such 

 a one is found and he is successful, let him serve in that capacity 

 as long as he is faithful and builds good roads. If he is not 

 aware of the fact, let some one say to him (and this is no criti- 

 cism) that the time to build mud roads is as early in the spring 

 as possible. The land is then in the best condition to work, and 

 we are entering the best season for compacting and solidifying 

 the road bed. Say to him that water is the greatest hindrance to 

 good roads, hence the road must be relieved of all surplus water, 

 being left high and dry. Short, muddy places must be bedded 

 with rock as an underdrain, and instead of hitching six or eight 

 horses to a road machine, with men enough to man it, and plow- 

 ing from center to circumference and tearing up the only decent 

 road bed in the stretch, leave the foundation already there and 

 draw from the sides enough to round and smooth. Build what 

 can be well built with the money at command, and leave the rest 

 until the people see by his works that he is the road commissioner 

 needed, and are ready to add a larger appropriation for a con- 

 tinuance of the work so well done. 



Let him call to his aid competent assistants, locating them in 

 such parts of the town as require the closest attention to the 

 destruction of the roads by showers and heavy rains, require 

 them to attend carefully to their respective sections and pay them 

 well for their labor. \Mth a good road comrriissioner, well 

 assisted, making repairs as soon as needed, better roads and a 

 more economical outlay of the public funds will be experienced. 



