Report of State Highway Engineer. 51 



have more power of control. A road is not made by piling on 

 the material in a haphazard way without attention to the founda- 

 tion or drainage. Using more material than is necessary is 

 another waste. Money is being wasted in all these ways in Mis- 

 souri. It costs too much money to make good roads for the work 

 to be done in a careless manner or without attention to the 

 principles of road-building. 



7th. Many people advocate expensive road building without 

 a thought for maintenance. Any road will wear out and as soon 

 as a road is built provisions should be made for maintaining it. 

 Maintenance is second in importance to construction, and we must 

 not lose sight of the fact that a good earth road is largely a ques- 

 tion of maintenance. Before we can have a good system of roads, 

 we must have a good maintenance system — a continuous main- 

 tenance. Our road district might be of a suitable size to own an 

 outfit and employ a man to do nothing the year around but keep 

 up the roads of that district. It is the most economical in the end 

 and will eventually develop a class of men who make it their busi- 

 ness. It will be their duty to care for the roads while other men 

 are attending to their own particular line of business, 



I wish, also, to do some research work or investigation this 

 year, to begin as soon as I know what funds the department has 

 for expenses. 



1st. Demonstrate the use of the road drag for maintaining 

 hard surfaced roads. I know that the drag properly used upon 

 gravel roads will keep the surface smooth. It ought to do the 

 same with roads surfaced with chats. I do not know what might 

 be the result upon a macadam road, but I am arranging to give it 

 a thorough trial in several places in the State. 



2nd. Make a study and test of road material of the State, 

 taking up those sections first which promise to need it first. 



3rd. An investigation and census for the amount of travel; 

 the kind and size of loads; date and length of time of heavy, wet 

 roads; and the effect of bad roads upon public school attendance. 



4th. Collect interesting and historical data concerning the 

 old State roads opened years ago by the State. This is valuable 

 from a historical standpoint only, but will soon all be lost — much 

 of this history is gone beyond recovery now. 



5th. Add a little each year to the State Fair road exhibit. 

 It helps to keep up interest and is a feature for instruction upon 

 read affairs. 



