Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 100, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 March 1918 — ROAD SCHOOL INTERESTING [ARTICLE]

ROAD SCHOOL INTERESTING

And Was Fairly Well Attended at Court House Wednesday. There was a fair attendance out Wednesday to the county road school held at the court house, and the meetings were quite interesting. Prof. R. C. Yeoman of Purdue gave illustrated talks on the construction, care and up-keep of improved roads, and at the afternoon meeting Mr. L, H. Wright of near Columbus, chairman of the state highway commission, gave a very interesting talk on improved highways, and explained numerous matters connected with the newly created state highway commission and its work. Mr. Wright’s talk on the need of hard-surfaced roads, such as brick and concrete, was almost identically along the lines of argument in favor of such roads as has been advanced by The Democrat for the past two or three years. He said that the highway traffic had outgrown stone and gravel as material, for the Improvement of our trunk! \ line roads; that such roads were right for arteries leading to the trunk roads but that it had been conclusively proven that the expense of upkeep on the trunk roads had become too great a burden and that the permanent hard surfaced roads were now much more the economical; that while the latter cost more to build the expense of upkeep was practically nil, and if properly constructed would last almost a lifetime. He said that, bad our government started in a few years ago and had trunk lines of roads built throughout the country, it would have -been one of the greatest acts of preparedness that could possibly have been made: that the construction of such roads •would have relieved the congestion of freight traffic on the railroads, by reason of the general use of motor trucks, and that as a result both the raw material and finished product could have been more rapidly delivered at the points needed. He said that even now the motor truck was playing am important part in many sections of the country and that Indianapolis was to have a system of motor trucks that would operate in all directions about that city within a radius of fifty miles*, delivering \ freight and parcels from the city to the small towns and country and at the same time would gather up produce and freight destined for the city.

He said that the government was soon to start driving 10,000 loaded motor trucks through to the seaboard at the rate of some fifty loaded trucks per day, and that these would pass through Morocco, Brook, Goodland and Remington, and that had our roads north of Rensselaer been in proper condition they would have passed through here. He also spoke of the numerous motor routes that are being established by the government for both the benefit of the producer and the consumer, of which readers of this paper have learned in its columns heretofore. Mr. Wright told of the enactment of the state highway commission law and said that while the law was not perfect, as it had been hurried through the 1917 session of r the legislature in order that Indiana might receive its share of ,the federal aid which had been voted by congress, ft was a step in the right direction and the sects could be remedied by suoceed-

ing legislatures. TL* commission, he said, was at present handicapped lor funds to lay eat as many trank roads as it had desired, bat others would follow and he predicted that it woald not be many years until each roads; covered the entire state, toarhing every county. The commission has adopted brick ami concrete as the standard material and feet as the Standard width of these so-ealleJ federal and state-aid roads. It has already located rentes aggregating 800 miles ard passing through forty of the ninety-two counties of the state. The cost of these roads is to be borne 2$ per cent by the federal government 25 per cent by the state and 5# . per cent by .the counties ' through which they ■ pass. They are to foe built according to state or federal specifications an 1 when once bailt are. .taken over and wholly maintained by the state, even to the ’ rebuiidiag .and repair of bridges. Mr. Wright said that he whs sorry that one of these already located roads did not pass through Rensselaer, bat that he thought In « very short time with the more funds available we could get a state road through this county providing the county wanted it. He said that in the counties through which the system has at present been located the people were all anxious for the roads and there was no question but what they would do their part; that they realized that the roads would be a great thina for them and they could not come too soon to salt these., ’

The saving to the farrrer in the easier and quicker traafport of hi - produee to market- the heavier loads that he coaid haul. etc., and' the fact that the harden of build-j ing and maintaining these roads •was more equitably distributed, as the taxpayers of the more populous cities, counties and townships would have to help build them, was also pointed out and made clear to th' audience. Mr. Wright said he did not be-' lieve there. Would .. be very much done in establishing and building, of new roads this year, because o’ the congestion >.©».■ the, .railroads;, except the state or national market Toads, which the government Is anxious to have completed, and it is expected to complete if »♦ miles of the 800 laid oat in Indiana this year, but he thought that cars would be released for hauling material to complete roads and streets already under way, which 'act is of interest to Rensselaer and jasper county where such conditions exist. An informal banquet was held at the Maieever house at noon with Sain Fendig as president of the Rensselaer Merchants’ association, presiding- County’ Road Superintendent Gray and assistants and a number of the merchants of the city were in . attendance.' they :having Mr. Yeoman and Mr Wright as .their guests.. . 'The . latter made a short address at this .time, also, -