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  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  vision, 
  in 
  order 
  that 
  the 
  road 
  taxes 
  may 
  be 
  economically 
  and 
  efficiently 
  

   spent. 
  Such 
  inspectors 
  must 
  nece;ssarily 
  receive 
  salaries 
  commensurate 
  

   with 
  their 
  qualifications. 
  These 
  salaries 
  should 
  be 
  paid 
  in 
  part 
  by 
  the 
  

   state 
  to 
  insure 
  central 
  control 
  and 
  the 
  adoption 
  of 
  uniform 
  standards 
  

   and 
  in 
  part 
  by 
  the 
  counties 
  where 
  the 
  inspectors 
  are 
  stationed 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  

   lessen 
  the 
  general 
  burden 
  of 
  taxation. 
  

  

  The 
  League 
  of 
  American 
  Wheelmen 
  is 
  doing 
  much 
  in 
  New 
  York 
  to 
  

   arouse 
  public 
  opinion 
  in 
  favor 
  of 
  good 
  roads. 
  It 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  hoped, 
  how- 
  

   ever, 
  that 
  this 
  influential 
  organization 
  will 
  not 
  confine 
  its 
  attention 
  to 
  

   state 
  roads 
  alone 
  but 
  will 
  advocate 
  some 
  measure 
  to 
  improve 
  the 
  

   general 
  system 
  of 
  road 
  supervision 
  and 
  repair. 
  

  

  It 
  has 
  been 
  suggested 
  that 
  a 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  excise 
  revenue 
  under 
  the 
  

   Raines 
  law 
  might 
  be 
  used 
  for 
  building 
  roads. 
  This 
  practical 
  question 
  

   must 
  be 
  decided 
  by 
  the 
  people 
  and 
  their 
  representatives 
  in 
  the 
  legislature. 
  

  

  Natural 
  Roads 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  most 
  roads 
  have 
  natural 
  beds 
  and 
  the 
  character 
  

   of 
  these 
  beds 
  is 
  determined 
  by 
  the 
  geology 
  of 
  the 
  region 
  in 
  which 
  

   they 
  lie. 
  

  

  Hence 
  the 
  road 
  beds 
  consist 
  of 
  clay, 
  sand, 
  loam 
  or 
  gravel, 
  or 
  occasion- 
  

   ally 
  are 
  on 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  rock 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  shale, 
  sandstone, 
  

   limestone, 
  etc. 
  

  

  From 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  an 
  unfertile 
  soil 
  is 
  not 
  good 
  for 
  road 
  building, 
  it 
  

   usually 
  happens 
  that 
  the 
  poorest 
  roads 
  are 
  in 
  regions 
  of 
  poor 
  farms 
  where 
  

   property 
  values 
  and 
  consequently 
  taxes 
  are 
  low 
  and 
  there 
  is 
  little 
  money 
  

   to 
  spend 
  on 
  the 
  roads. 
  This 
  is 
  especially 
  true 
  in 
  stony 
  districts, 
  for 
  a 
  

   stony 
  soil 
  is 
  a 
  most 
  unmanageable 
  material 
  for 
  a 
  natural 
  road. 
  

  

  Of 
  the 
  natural 
  roads 
  those 
  on 
  clay 
  soil 
  are 
  best 
  in 
  dry 
  weather, 
  those 
  on 
  

   sand 
  best 
  in 
  wet 
  weather. 
  When 
  wet 
  with 
  a 
  certain 
  proportion 
  of 
  water, 
  

   fine 
  sand 
  becomes 
  hard 
  and 
  elastic 
  as 
  we 
  see 
  on 
  the 
  beaches 
  of 
  our 
  

   Atlantic 
  coast, 
  where 
  good 
  natural 
  roads 
  are 
  found 
  near 
  the 
  water's 
  

   edge. 
  

  

  Of 
  the 
  natural 
  soils 
  the 
  best 
  for 
  road 
  purposes 
  are 
  those 
  variable 
  mix- 
  

   tures 
  of 
  sand 
  and 
  clay 
  called 
  loams. 
  Loam 
  roads 
  average 
  better 
  through 
  

   the 
  year 
  than 
  those 
  of 
  clay 
  or 
  sand. 
  A 
  limestone 
  gravel 
  makes 
  a 
  very 
  

   good 
  road, 
  and 
  also 
  a 
  fine 
  quartz 
  gravel 
  mixed 
  with 
  clay. 
  

  

  From 
  every-day 
  experience, 
  it 
  is 
  clear 
  that 
  natural 
  road 
  beds 
  are 
  not 
  

   the 
  best 
  for 
  heavy 
  traffic 
  when 
  under 
  varying 
  conditions 
  of 
  moisture. 
  It 
  

  

  