Good Roads Idea

A novel feature of the geed roads movement iu New Jersey is the propesitiou to introduce instruction ou road building into the comruon schools. The need of eïenientary iustruction iu that direction is seen every day. The state report says: "The iguorance that prevails among the average rural residente regarding the proper manner of repairing even the coniruon roads shows-a striking necessity for some kind of technical instruction, guided by which our ordinary township authorities will be able to ïnake the best nse of the ever present materials for keeping the roads in proper repair. "In traveling over the country we often see men repairing a miry roadway by throwing mud from the ditehes iuto the middle of the roadbed. In all our commuuities it is a common practice to scrape the wom out material, that has been repeatedly washed from the center of the road, back into the uiiddle of the road, ouly to be again washed out by the rain or to be waded throngh as deep saud. ' ' Upon our macadam highways there is a prerailíng spirit of ueglect. Instead of immediately repairing the little breaks, our couuty officials leave thcm until roas of the stoue becomo unraveled, necessitatiiig at times the expenditure of several hundrcd dollars per mile for repairs, where a few dollars would have teen sufficieut. ' ' Roll tlic Roads. Experience has shown that the way to preserve stone roads is to roll theni af ter rains with a steara roller, or whére that is midesirable -vith a heavy horse roller. The steam rollers can be bought for about $3,000, and the expense, if each township owned and operated its own roller, would be sliglit. Weák bridgcs are sometimos an obstacle, but it is certain that, without rolling at tbo proper time, the best stono road is bound to be destroyed by the stui, wind and weui' and tear. Harmony Will Do the Work. Dndcr the stimulus of their new state law the towns in Connecticut last year expended $1,827,976 on roads, and while there is no such incentive in this state a vork greater, in proportion to the wealth and population, eau be easily accomplished if all the interests concerned work together harnioniouslv. -