UNIFORMITY OF SYSTEM. 55 



see how this works. There may be a long stretch of road over 

 which a team could easily carry a ton, or perhaps two tons. 

 But in some pa^'t of the line over which the traveller has to 

 pass, there is a long, steep and rocky hill, up which the team 

 can draw only a half or a quarter part as much as it can easily 

 draw on a level, hard and unyielding surface. The conse- 

 quence is that on account of this one steep incline, or it may 

 be more, the load can be only one-quarter or one-half as much 

 as could have been easily drawn, but for such an obstacle. Tiie 

 teamster therefore loses a large part of the advantage of the 

 good portion of the road, because he must reduce his load to 

 what can be carried up the one or two miserable hills, which he 

 must climb before reaching the end of his journey. 



We have, therefore, the general proposition, that steep 

 ascents being always injurious, become especially so when they 

 occur on a long road which is comparatively level. In such a 

 case, it becomes vastly more important to avoid or lessen the 

 slope, or else to perfect its surface. But it lies in a town wliicli 

 does not care enough about its roads to improve them by reduc- 

 ing the hill, and the whole community has to suffer. If it costs 

 the teamster more to transport produce, both producers and 

 consumers of that produce are obliged eventually to foot the 

 bill. Isn't that so ? 



And why should the condition of our great highways, which 

 constitute so very important an element of the wealth, the com- 

 fort and the safety of the whole public, be allowed to depend 

 on the short-sighted views of economy, or perhaps the indolence 

 or indifference of every small town through which the roads 

 may happen to pass ? 



2. Another great objection to the present system is that it 

 allows towns to elect a multitude of surveyors without refer- 

 ence to their competency, who cannot by any possibility man- 

 age the money appropriated with that degree of economy, com- 

 prehensive foresight and wisdom of one thoroughly competent 

 and skilful road engineer or superintendent. 



The town meeting comes, and the people are called to vote 

 for surveyors of highways, often without any previous consul- 

 tation as to the competency of men to fill the position, perhaps 

 by nomination on the spur of the moment, and many are chosen 



