SYSTEM TO SECURE GOOD ROADS. 247 



P AET II. 



ON THE "BEST METHODS OF SUPERINTENDING THE CON- 

 STRUCTION AND REPAIR OF PUBLIC ROADS IN THIS COM- 

 MONWEALTH." 



In looking for a solution of this question the people of the 

 Commonwealth may turn as tliey choose, either to the West or 

 to the East, to see a guiding star ; to the city of Chicago, or to 

 the city of London, both under a republican form of govern- 

 ment, alike or similar to that we live under. It lies in the es- 

 tablishment of a Board of Public Works, composed of a number 

 of able men, well paid for their services, gradually changing in 

 their membership in the Board who shall have this and only this 

 as their occupation and who can therefore be held responsible 

 for their acts. This is the system tliat has been adopted both in 

 London and in Chicago and with remarkable success and result- 

 ant benefits. There are many other systems in use in foreign 

 countries all of which however seem to be inapplicable here, 

 placed as we are, under so different forms of government ; 

 hence, though well acquainted with the systems adopted in 

 France and in Germany, the writer has not described them 

 here. 



The history of " the Metropolitan Board of Public Works of 

 the City of London " is about as follows : — 



What is known as the city of London consists in reality of a 

 great number of what we should call towns, there called parishes, 

 and of which the " city of London " is only one single member. 

 Each one of these parishes had, and still has in most respects, 

 its own local government and in consequence, took care of its 

 drainage, its streets, &c., &c., as seemed best and as it liked, 

 some better, some worse and some not at all. This state of 

 things in the matter of drains and sewers finally led to a most 

 deplorable condition of affairs ; there was not nor could there 

 under these conditions be such a thing as a system of sewers 

 and consequently a proper and adequate drainage ; the death- 

 rate increased to an alarming extent and matters came to be 

 universally regarded as past all endurance. What could be the 

 remedy ? No well grounded complaint could be made against 

 the majority of the men composing the various local govern- 



