French Roads And Road-buildid? Sys­tem.

If Frénela roada have a fault it ís that they are too straight, aud so apt, unless the country is hilly, lo be mouototious. f1liml uiey are lnilnitly superior to Eoglteb roads. The surface is beautifully kept, and the inclines are so carefully graded that a bicycle need have no t'ear oí riding down the longest lull if he can only see the botton of it. The reason for tlie ditlerence is that Engüsb roads have grown and French roads have been made. All tlie principal roads in France were origlnally planned by pro)erly trained civil'engineers, and a larjre stafl" of engineers is still eraployed to see th.it they are efflciently maintuined. The cost of miitntenarce for certain muin roads, called Routes Nationale (national roads), is borne by the central government. The Routes Departmentales, or county roads, form a second clas9, aud the cost of tliese is borne by the Consells Qeneraux (county councils). Finally there are three classes of road?, still more local in cliaracter, which are iniiitalned mainly at the expense of the communes (parishes). In every case.however, the system employed Is the same. A certain lengtli of road is assigned to the exclusive care of a man called cantonnier. It is his duty to watcb over tbat plece of road the whole year round, and as long as he does liU duty his engagement is a permanent one at a fixed salary. He sweeps his road whenever necessary, keeps the water-courses clear, so as to prevent the water lylng on the road and rotting it; and whenever his road wants mendius; be applies to the engineer in charge of the district for stone to mend it with. If only a small repair is needed he lays on the stone himself. lf it Is a case of rcmetalling a considerable plece of road a gang of men, with a steam .roller, is dispatched to the work. But whetber the repairs be big or small, whether on a national road or a local road, the workmen are always subject to the supervisión of skilied engineers. Possibly tliis scientific Is more expenslve than the English haphazard way of golng to work ; but what the French farmer and tradesman pay in taxes for the maintenance of good roads tliey more than save In hor.-eflesh and wear and tear of vehicles. If we could only have a taste of the French system here for a couple of years, even the most parslmonious rate-payer would not begrudge the extra expense- if extra expense tliere be.