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Show 1 y fH.ii4t4 I IMPROVED ! ROADS PROPER WIDTH OF HIGHWAYS Eighteen Feet Should Be the Minimum, Mini-mum, Not the Maximum on Main Traveled Roads. Through all tho years we hnvo been trying to maintain from forty to sixty foot roads In n large percentage of onr public highways when such n width was wholly unnecessary. The road sides have not been cared for oecnuso they were waste land nnd, this lack 'of care has mndo them spreaders' 'Of weed seed nnd hay fever. A narrower rondwuy, well kept, would In most eases serve all the purposes required, drainage and safety, says tho Successful Farming. Now thai the roads are to be hard surfaced the tendency Is to go to the other extreme In order to save tuxef for paving. We must look ahead. If wo put 'down n paving that will last llftecn or 'twenty years, we must estimate esti-mate If possible the amount nnd kind of traffic It will bear nt that time. 4 S"--- " iiL JPl- ft $0& &2m3L $m ' - "SPEr m- "-..dig Pcttlngthc 'Finishing Touches on Hard ""Surface rtoad. , i It the moad Is dnngcrously namwv , dw, .us ils the case where less titan eighteen iffet Is paved, what will It foe In twenty years? Eighteen feet should be the catnl-1 arum, not the maximum, and on eoaln traveled roads a greater width will seem marrow In twenty years. la (Eng-1 land and France the roads are fiuved i clour 'to the fences or sides of 'the, highways, unless u curb ami sklowdlk or 'bicycle path Is maintained between the iroad and fence. Every foot Is' fcipt'ln good condition. Good drainage te :ps much a part of the Hurepcan tilehwnys as Is tho case with .owelty' pa.vetl streets. We are ut the beginning of .motor transport. Unless we look alhoml and ppovldc wider puemenis, w will find Uuo 'highways crowded and .our pos-rillilo pos-rillilo relief "rom railway congestion uuuulled. A few dollars Kiwotl now In mnrrowlng our paved highways will ' prove a .ihort sighted pollcj. We have already seen tlie fully of constructing our canals too marrow and locks too short. The great hikes tioiitsmceded In Atlantic transport during dur-ing tho war had to be cut Ju two and taken through the canals hi ,pleccs. Quean ships cannot reach hiterlor.ports , until the canals and lockg uko enlarged. en-larged. This Is a hlghwuy lesson to' us. Look to the future. |