ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON ROADS AND ROAD LAWS. 



BY P. S. Fenstemaker, Chairman. 



This question of better roads is not one of recent date. From 

 the remains of roads of ancient nations discovered, it is evident that 

 there have been people who had considerable knowledge of the 

 science of road-building. The statement is frequently made that the 

 condition of the public highways of a people are a true standard by 

 which to measure the extent of their civilization. If this were ap- 

 plied to our people, and especiallyat an early springtime, our meas- 

 ure would not be very great. 



In England, the Saxons and those who came after them for many 

 centuries, were not sufficiently civilized to use as models the magnifi- 

 cent roads left them by the Romans. History shows us that new 

 conditions of traffic have always brought about new conditions of 

 road-making. In 1555, the first coach was built that was ever seen 

 in England, as was also the first road law enacted. This law, 

 among other provisions, provided for the election of surveyors by 

 poijular vote. These were empowered to exact four days labor 

 from every parishioner every year. It appears that from this may 

 have originated the present system of annually electing our super- 

 visors and the working out of road taxes. 



In 1663, there was placed on the statute book, the act under which 

 the first turnpike was established. In 1818, John Louden Maca- 

 dam's system of road-making was adopted; and this, in combination 

 with Telford's, resulted in the construction of good roads. The'work 

 of these two great pioneers of road-building must be considered 

 together. They broke away from the traditional methods of fol- 

 lowing the old roadways, and where possible, laid out new roads over 

 gentler ascents through deep cuttings, and clear of soft, low 

 grounds. 



Their joint system of constructing roads may be considered a 

 reversion to the old Roman system. Telford approved of a firm 

 foundation. Accordingly, he dug out the route and made a regular 

 bed of rough, close-set pavement Avith six inches of broken stones, 

 which was rammed hard, and over this was laid the upper crust of 

 macadam; and to the present day a road thus constructed is at once 

 hard, smooth and durable. There is all the difference in the world 

 between a road which has been built as a road over a carefully se- 

 lected line of countrv, and a road which has been fashioned out of 

 an old road-bed. 



In the hurry of the progression of our country, this question of 

 good roads has been side-tracked by other improvements, of which 

 were the railroads. The movement for good roads built by the Fed- 

 eral government had hardly begun when the steam railways became 

 the post-carriers, and the United States government went out of the 

 business of road making. It is only since the introduction of the 



