PRESENT CONDITION OP OUR ROADS. 283 



THIED PKIZE ESSAY 



ON THE 



MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS OF COMMON ROADS. 



By Henry Onion, Civil Engineer. 



Introductory. 



In order rightly to perform a piece of work, or to accomplish 

 a particular purpose, it is necessary, first, to have a clear un- 

 derstanding of the purpose intended, and then to consider the 

 means of accomplishing it. 



There is an urgent demand for improvement in the condition 

 of the common roads throughout the country ; and in this 

 State, particularly, the demand is becoming imperative. To as- 

 certain what is required to effect this improvement, it is neces- 

 sary to look at the defects of the roads as they are now kept, 

 and to mark the difference, in point of construction and main- 

 tenance, between good and bad ones hi order to know what rem- 

 edies to apply ; also to examine the present system of manage- 

 ment to discover where its faults lie, so as to provide under- 

 standingly some plan which will secure the most useful results 

 with the best economy. 



Present State of the Roads. 



The public prints everywhere make frequent complaints of the 

 roads at all seasons, and upon the breaking up of the winter and 

 the roads together, the travelling is described as " horrible." 

 All sorts of suggestions, many of them impracticable or worth- 

 less, and some spasmodic efforts, are made to remedy the evil, 

 but generally with very little beneficial effect. 



The roads are everywhere bad ; difficult to haul over and un- 

 pleasant to travel upon. Their defects are obvious to every one. 



