Ogden Standard-Examiner | 1921-02-13 | Page 22 | France Leads in Road Upkeep

FRANCE LEADS j IN ROAD UPKEEP Body of Patrolmen Employed Continually to Keep Roads in Condition If we need an nbjr, , jCi;pon in im. portancr- of road ni.vintenan.ee. we I have only to lurn our eyes toward Fiance, which has evolved tho finest system bl keeping up roads in ex-Istence, ex-Istence, The Franch maintenance system was Installed by the first Na-;rolcon. Na-;rolcon. whose unerring mind lenlize.l ,lo tho full die importance or good ; roads, always in good condition. Tim I French system embodies a corps of patrolmen, working constantly on the national roads, 'these men have each been a given length of road under und-er Iheir care, about four miles to the I man. Fach one ,s n-pimsiblf for the condition of his district at all times. I They cover I heir district! every day. (The patrolman driven over the road in a two wheeled cart. Carrying sup. ply of mending materials, sufficient jfor any ordinary break Every slightest slight-est hole in the surface i patched as ;.-oon as it appears. If serious trouble arises from any cause, f. patrolman notifJes his Inspector and the repair igang comes' to ihe rescue, j In Franco the jobs of highway p. I trolinan' are usually i.n i. veteran.. I who have retired from army service. The pay its not laig. but the patrol man gets a house with a plot Of ground, the whole constituting an honorable livelihood. Might If not be possible for us to follow a similar iin of operation We have some millions of veterans of our armies. Many thousands oi them will be glud to secure a permam in means or livelihood especially In the open air. It may not be without profit to examine briefly the cost of such a national highway maintenance sys tern. Suppose our hard surfaced highway high-way system eventually comprises 300.-1000 300.-1000 miles. A patrolman with a Fmall : motor ca to rai n, l.l.i umN and ma terlals could handle len miles of jioad. going over his district every day and making any needed repairs. A j force of 20,000 patrolmen would cover the entire road system If we placed Ihe wages of these nu n at ?l"U(i per anntim, our total expenditures would be 630.000,000. ll" we double ihls sum I to include the cost of running a car, supplying materials, etc.. we base ;t .total of 160,000.000. nol at all a disproportionate dis-proportionate expenditure when we I consider the return. We spend far more than thin every year in making extensive repairs and doing rebuilding rebuild-ing that the patrol system would obviate. ob-viate. It might even be possible to furnish the highway patrolman with a cottage and garden plot, after the French custom, and make the job attractive to men with families. 1 January Motor.