OrnCE OF PUBLIC ROADS. 881 



The following points are clearly demonstrated by the experiment on 

 the 8 miles of earth road in question: (a) The use of the road drag 

 has greatly improved the daily condition of the road and rendered it 

 smooth and comfortable for travel for a greatly increased number of 

 days in bad weather; (6) a width of earth road in excess of 24 feet is 

 unnecessarily expensive to maintain; (c) the presence of the patrol- 

 man during storms and immediately after saves considerable expense 

 for repairs due to the wash of surface water; {d) the existence of 

 poorly drained private driveways and intersecting roads is a constant 

 expense for maintenance; {e) the use of small tiles for ditch drains 

 and the building of wooden bridges over gutters at driveways is a 

 serious obstacle to proper drainage. Small pipe is usually laid at 

 insufficient depth and becomes broken and clogged. It would appear 

 that paved gutters at driveways would not be unduly expensive in 

 the long run and would certainly provide better surface drainage. 

 (/) It will not be economical to employ a patrolman during the winter 

 months unless his time can be used to advantage in clearing brush 

 and rubbish from the right of way, but a man should be constantly 

 in charge of every mile of road to inspect it during storms and free 

 the ditches; (g) the presence of old cobblestones and large, poorly 

 consolidated gravel is a serious impediment to the use of the road 

 drag; stones must be removed from the road before dragging can be 

 successful; and (A) there is ample work for one man continuously 

 during 8 or 9 months of the year, and there is no difficulty in com- 

 bining road-patrol work with the dragging of earth roads. 



During the term of the patrolman the county, in accordance with 

 the contract, has made extraordinary repairs amounting to $207.71. 

 The repairs consisted of rebuilding a concrete head wall for a tiled 

 culvert, which failed during a severe storm, and in rebuilding ditches 

 in the Arlington district; in the Jefferson district regraveling was 

 necessary near the Four Mile Run Bridge, owing to severe flooding, 

 and several loads of gravel were also used to fill depressions at other 

 points on the south Mount Vernon Road. 



It is expected to continue this experiment during the fiscal year 

 1913, and the indications are that the entire 8 miles of road will show 

 remarkable improvement under the systematic work of the patrolman. 



SPECIAL AGENTS. 



The office endeavors to keep on file prompt and reliable informa- 

 tion regarding the road activities in the different States. In order to 

 do tliis a collaborator is maintained in each State, to report on the 

 1st of each month on all road matters of importance which have 

 occurred during the preceding month. In States having State high- 

 way departments the policy has been to appoiiit as special agents 

 some one connected with the State highway depailment. In States 

 not having such departments it has been found desirable to appoint 

 some State oflicial or public citizen in close touch with the road situ- 

 ation in the State. At present collaborators have been appointed in 

 42 States. Tlieir rei)or(s are digested and briefed each mouth, so as 

 to render the information contained in them easily available for ref- 

 erence, and these data have proved invaluable to the office. 



70481°— AGB 1912 56 



