J 3- 



152 FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 



makes a plan of a system of sewers, every piece of road that is built, and 

 every change of location of a main road, will be an integral part of the- 

 system, though it take years to perfect it. 



Having determined upon the proper location of the main roads, or upon 

 the portions of the old roads that will be continued, go to work and spend 

 time and labor enough on one section to make so much good road. Indis- 

 criminate patching here and there accomplishes very little. Better spend 

 the whole year's appropriation in one place if necessary to make a good road 

 of it than to half build twice as much distance. Having thoroughly con- 

 structed one piece of road one year, the next year's work can be employed on 

 another section of road either adjoining the first or in another district. 



In Massachusetts, where I was raised, there is a custom of ''working out 

 the highway tax," and I understand the laws are similar here. This is an 

 unsatisfactory and extravagant way of making and repairing roads. There- 

 is annually a small convention of citizens, with shovels, hoes, bars, picks, 

 plows, or whatever may be thought necessary in the way of tools, assembled 

 at the appointed rendezvous. They come ostensibly "to work the road 

 Actually they talk politics, gossip, kill time, and cheat the town. If the- 

 pathmaster is a man of good judgment, honest intentions and strong will» 

 he separates the talkers, employs each man on the class of work he is best 

 fitted for, and sees that each man does an honest day's work that is really of 

 some benefit to the town, and in consequence gets defeated at the next elec- 

 tion by some person who will be easier on the boys, for '■' we won't work 

 under no slave driver." 



I believe much more good can be accomplished with the same expenditure- 

 of money by adopting a contract system. It could be arranged so that those 

 who preferred could pay their taxes in labor instead of money, but if they 

 worked for a contractor they would be more likely to give an honest day's 

 work for their pay. By previously considering the location and character of 

 work it was thought best to do, and clearly defining it, the work could be 

 let out by contract to the lowest bidder. It might be stipulated that the 

 contractor should be a citizen of the town, that he should employ those who 

 lived in the district as laborers, that he should pay certain stipulated wages 

 not less than a certain price. Although handicapped by all these provisions 

 the contractor would be stimulated by a prospective profit for his own 

 pocket, and in handling his work would plan it so as to accomplish the most 

 work with the least labor. He would select the tools, methods and men best 

 adapted to the work in hand. Gossiping and story-telling Avould be limited 

 to the dinner hour. Every citizen who was thus working out his taxes would 

 be a jealous inspector to see to it that the contractor did just the work he- 

 agreed to do, and if it turned out that the contractor really did the work he 

 agreed to and made money on it, at the next contract letting there would be 

 competition enough to keep the price down to reasonable figures. 



The proper dimensions of roads, the construction of culverts, the road sur- 

 face, all these points have been considered and recommendations made time 

 and again. Water, an all-importaut element, and at times a useful servant to 

 man, is also a persistent enemy to good roads. The natural clay will sustain 

 heavy traffic if dry, but when wet it softens up so that heavily loaded wheels cut 

 into it deeply. Therefore the first requisite of a good road is some means of 

 readily removing water Side ditches should be constructed and the material ex- 

 cavated from the ditches, and if of suitable quality, it should be used in raising- 

 the road bed above the water line. Bat while digging the ditches, outlets should be^ 



