' Turnpike and Parish Roads. 



355 



system upon some other trusts where he has had power to do So ; 

 and I now think that I have his unquahfied approval of it where 

 it has been properly carried out : but it must be borne in mind 

 that some sub-surveyors will be opposed to it on account of its 

 tendency to check abuses. 



Perhaps the most ready way of communicating information will 

 be to state what we have done upon the trusts now under the mile 

 system. Beginning with the choice and duties of the mile-man, 

 who himself must be the very reverse of the incompetent decrepit 

 old persons who, unfit for every other labour, were always ap- 

 pointed to take care of the roads, he must be an active, intelligent, 

 steady man, who will take pride in his portion of road to which he 

 is appointed ; his wages should be such as to make it worth his while, 

 and he should have common sense enough to see that the more atten- 

 tion he pays to his road the less labour he will have to keep it in 

 order in future. The distance or portion of the road which each 

 man will have under his charge must entirely depend upon local 

 circumstances ; the materials of which it is composed, the traffic, 

 whether it is on a level surface or hilly, and whether through 

 towns or villages— all which circumstances make a difference as to 

 the portion of road which each man can take charge of. During 

 the time of the great traffic on the High Western road, no man 

 had more than 1 mile allotted to him, and some less than f , but I 

 generally observed that 1 mile in a favourable situation was easier 

 kept in repair than f or even ^ a mile in a less favourable one; 

 but since the railroads have been established, and we have lost 

 two-thirds of our traffic and two-thirds of our revenue also, we 

 have allotted about 1^ mile to each man; and should it be neces- 

 sary, from the decrease of our funds, the men seem confident they 

 can look after even a greater portion, in consequence of the road 

 having by constant attention attained one even and uniform sur- 

 face. It is necessary that the mile-man should be at all times at 

 work on his road, summer and winter, wet or dry ; he should at 

 least once in the day pass over every part of his mile or portion, to 

 level or rake in any uneven surface ; and during rain his presence 

 is more absolutely necessary than at any other time, as it is then 

 that he ascertains any unevenness in the surface, and where the 

 water requires letting off ; and thus three hours' work during hard 

 rain assists in forming the true level of his road more than a 

 week's work in dry weather; it is then that the intelligent mile- 

 man is seen with a little fine gravel in his wheelbarrow, filling up 

 little hollows, to dislodge the water and to obtain the perfect 

 form, and it is by these means that a true and regular surface 

 is produced and maintained at a considerable saving of mate- 

 rials. Every mile-man has the number of his mile on a plate 

 about 6 inches long and 4 inches wide, fastened round his 



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