GENERAL INCREASE OF ASPHALTED ROADS. 201 



on the one hand, and that of roads on the other — 



both of them being within its scope — has moved in 



neither direction. Feeling itself incompetent to treat 



the question at all, it has maintained a 'masterly 



inactivity.' The last of the two exponents who thus 



invoke in such opposite ways the aid of the Society 



in favour of an animal over which it watches in 



other matters, sets forth that asphalte makes the 



best road of all, except for the horses. Yet we are 



asked to abandon the economies and comforts of this 



production of modem intelligence, because it would 



render another improvement necessary, which would 



bring about as much or more economy and comfort 



on its part. This is to offer a two-fold opposition to 



progress. 



Asphalte, however, is not yet suppressed ; nor 



does it appear likely to be, since we read within the 

 last fortnight that ' the carriage-ways of London 

 Wall, Bucklersbury, Cannon Street, Abchurch Lane, 

 Castle Street (Cripplegate), Trump Street, the north 

 side of St. Paul's Churchyard, Long Lane, Broadway 

 (Blackfriars), and Philpot Lane, are to be forthwith 

 asphalted ' — the contracts being signed. 



Science and progress cannot be put down by 

 ' old-fogyism,' however much the latter may retard 

 them. Asphalte will ultimately supersede, in towns, 

 both wood and granite ; and the asphalting com- 

 panies could forward this end to their immense 

 commercial benefit if they had the intelligence to 

 demonstrate that unshod horses would not slip on 

 their productions, by using unshod horses them- 



