INTRODUCTION 



Good Roads in New York 



The present condition of the highways of New York is about the same 

 as that of the roads of England at the beginning of this century, when 

 they were so bad and the toll rates were so high that the subject of their 

 improvement forced itself upon the attention of the British public. From 

 the investigations which ensued under the supervision of prominent 

 engineers, certain rules for road building were formulated, the adoption of 

 which led to the construction of the fine highways for which Great 

 Britain has so long been famous. 



At that time there were no railroads in England and all produce was 

 transported by wagon or canal so that the subject of road improvement 

 was one of great commercial importance. The necessities of the occa- 

 sion brought to the front in Great Britain many road engineers, most 

 prominent among whom were Macadam and Telford, advocates of two 

 different systems of road building, which are now used variably, accord- 

 ing to the nature of the ground where the road is to be built. Road 

 building under state supervision has long been a feature of European 

 government and the time has now come when it must be recognized as 

 a necessary function of government in the United States. 



The important reasons for road improvement throughout our country 

 are three : ist the desirability of reducing the cost of hauling; 2nd the 

 importance of making most of our roads fit for pleasure driving, thereby 

 attracting to the rural districts in summer, thousands of people who 

 create a local market for various farm products ; 3rd the economic princi- 

 ple of preventing the great waste of labor which is now fruitlessly 

 expended in making bad roads. 



The state of Massachusetts, which in our own country leads in syste- 

 matic road building, has a highly organized highway commission, which 

 has been at work since 1894. Under the direction of this commission 

 the important highways of the state have been measured on the new 

 topographic map and their total length determined to be 20,500 miles, 

 exclusive of minor cross roads. The commission has projected the 

 construction of a network of state roads amounting to 10 % of the 

 whole, connecting the more important points throughout the state. At 



