Cost of Repairing Main Roads. 
25 
per mile in 1904, or about 31 per cent. The rural main roads 
of England and Wales, with a mileage of nearly 23,826, now 
cost about 71 1. per mile. 
The national roads in France in 1904, with a mileage of 
23,820, almost exactly the same as that of the rural roads 
classed as main roads in England and Wales, cost about 51/. 
a mile. These national roads constitute about one-fifth of the 
total mileage of the highways in France. 
Though it must not be forgotten that the French climate is 
drier than that of England, that heavy waggons in France have 
wide tyres on their wheels, and that the road traffic in England 
is very heavy in many parts of the country, the difference 
between the results secured in France for 51 /. and those 
obtained in England for 71 /. is most striking. 
Without information, not now available anywhere, a close 
estimate as to the total cost of putting the main roads of 
England and Wales into good order cannot be made. Even 
the mileage of main roads which properly merit that name 
has not been determined ; but probably about 20,000 miles in 
the rural districts might properly be classed as national main 
roads ; and an expenditure of 2,000/. a mile could be well 
applied, without extravagance, to improve these roads as to 
alignment, width, drainage, gradients, and surface, or say 
40,000,000/. in all. Such an expenditure would not accomplish 
all that is required to make the roads worthy of the nation, but 
it would effect a great improvement and would be a good 
investment. In many cases the roads are strong in the centre 
and mainly require widening and strengthening at the sides 
of the carriageway. 
The necessary funds might be borrowed at 3 per cent, 
for fifty years, and with a sinking fund accumulating at 
2f per cent, the total annual charges would only be 1,550,000/. 
a year, or, approximately, the present annual cost of main- 
taining the rural main roads, which equals 2 d. in the pound 
on the total rateable valuation of England and Wales. Even 
if the improvements led to no early reduction in the cost 
of maintenance, which they certainly might be expected to 
secure, the total annual charge for the improved rural main 
roads would be 4 d. in the pound on the rateable valuation of 
the country — not a very alarming figure. 
To secure proper value in the improvement of the trunk 
lines of traffic, the advantages of central control, free from 
local bias or popular pressure, should be combined with that 
of local knowledge by arranging for the execution of the 
works of improvement by the county surveyors (who are very 
competent officers), under the direction of a Government 
department. 
