THE 3IORNING OREGONIAN, TJIUItSDAY. JANUARY 4, 1917.
ROADS CONFERENCE
MAP OF OREGON SHOWING PROPOSED TRUNK ROADS, AND SOME OP SPEAKERS'AT COMMONWEALTH
CONFERENCE.
3 DAYS
ONLY
Beginning Today
statewide Co-operation Under
Suitable Code Is Aim'
of Participants.
8
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OPENS IN PORTLAND
TJKIATTYI JTAJI X Sl ' -' (t
.V-- STATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM tLL . j - , i ,
HIGHWAY PLANS DISCUSSED
"Draft of-Federal Scheme to Be Con
sidered Today Local Banker
Says Public Must Be Shown
How Money Is Spent.
(Continued From First Page.)
of different types of pavement, general
road policies and necessity for testing
materials used in road and bridge con
struction. One of the most comprehensive
Btudies was on the maintenance and
repairing of improved highways, sub
mitted by Fred W. Sarrdeputy state
highway commissioner of New York.
Mr. Sarr reviewed the progress of high
way work since the adoption of the
New York code in 1909, and pointed
out the many satisfactory results that
have been obtained in the administra
tion, construction and maintenance of
roads.
Outlay About $100,000,000.
He said that the construction of high
ways in New York represents a capital
investment of about $100,000,000, and
that since 1909, when organised main
tenance work began, approximately
$20,000,000 had been expended on neces
sary upkeep and renewals of the high
way system.
"It is sound economy to protect this
big investment, by the maintenance
work necessary -to prevent the rapid
deterioration due to the destructive
agencies of traffic and the elements,"
he said. v
J. C. Ainsworth, president of the
United States National Bank, of Port
land, emphasized the necessity of
proper accounting for all road expendi
tures and the need of authority to en
force it.
"There is great need that our road
work" be organized and placed on a
strict business basis, with ample power
in the administrative office to make
good," said Mr. Ainsworth. "The people
cannot have confidence in any road
organization until comprehensive re
ports are made as to how and where
the public funds are being expended.
Without a proper cost-keeping system,
to be applied uniformly on all state and
county road work, it is impossible and
useless to suggest improvements in our
' present system."
State Supply Plan Urged.
. Reduction in the cost of hard-surfacing
roads through the state supplying
all materials for construction was urged
by A. G. Johnson, of the Department of
Public Works, Portland.
"We have a middle road to follow
which prevents on the one hand the
extortions of paving combines and road
contractors, and yet yields cdtets as low
as those of efficiently managed state
and municipal plants," said he. . "It
retains all the advantages of efficiency
In the handling of labor present in the
contract system, but often lacking, for
political or other reasons, in state or
municipal plants."
Professor S. H. Graf, of the Oregon
Agricultural College, presented a paper
on The Necessity, of Testing AH Mate
rials Used in Road and Bridge Con
struction." He declared that commu
nities where materials are not properly
tested become the dumping ground for
inferior grades of material. He pointed
out the need of a new road code, as It
would eliminate the disjointments of
the present system of road work where
there is no central contrl and no
standard to be .followed.
J. B. Brown Gives Talk.
In opening the conference J. D.
Brown, president of the Farmers'
Union of Oregon, explained the pur
poses of the meeting and predicted
tangible resultB for a definite road
programme. Ruf us C. Holman, presi
dent of the Association of County
Judges and Commissioners, discussed
defects in Oregon's present road laws
and urged the adoption of -the code
drafted by the Federal Bureau of Good
Roads, a
John H. Lewis, State Engineer, pre
sented an exhaustive paper on the
"Classification of Oregon Roads." He
urged the adoption of a road plan sim
ilar to that in effect both in Washing
ton and New York.
Discussing the importance of fixing
routes or main trunk lines by law, Mr.
Lewis said:
It will require approximately 4200 miles
of state roads to connect each county seat
and. adequately serve all parts or tile etate.
As feeders to this trunk lino system, ap
proximately S00O miles of high-class county
roans will bo necessary.
We thus have a total of 12.200 miles of
state and county roada to be built and
maintained .in accordance with - modern
standards required by motor vehicle traffic:'
In addition there are approximately 83,000
miles of local or district roads which must
also be maintained.
As a basis for . any such continuing state
policy of road building, the various routes
upon which state funds) are to be expended
should be definitely fixed in the law. It is
just as important for the Legislature to
say 'where state funds -shall be expended as
to say how much money shall be- appro
priated. Only by such procedure can we
be 'sure that the - various -unite constructed
will ultimately connect, forming a through
. route.
At the present time state funds can be
expended upon any route which may be
adopted as a state road by the Highway
Commission. "With interested delegations
urging a change or the adoption of some
new routes, it will be very difficult for any
Commission, and especially changing Com
missions of a political complexion, to always
keep in mind that the state and much of
the Federal funds should be expended upon
trunk lines, without giving undue weight to
small local influencesu These, for small
benefit, would force the state to add many
miles to its through routes, and greatly in
crease the cost, because the local benefit
would" far exceed its proportion of 'the In
creased cost. The pressure from such sources
. Is very great, and should be removed by"
legislative action. The Legislature should,
accordingly, describe and number the various
routes which it may see fit to 'adopt aa state
routes. - .
The description, should Include, only the
important towns concerning which there Is
no diepute, and the detailed location between
such points left for determination by the ad
ministrative officials after thorough surveys
and engineering data had been secured.
This Is the plan adopted by the state of
"Washington, as well as New York, and man)
other states. Such action is urged by the
Federal Government aa a basis for the wise
expenditure of Federal funds.
Forest Roods Plscnsaed.
B. J, Finch, senior engineer of the
United States Forest Service, told of
the work under way connecting the
National forests in the state with ad
jacent roads. He said that the build
ing of roads- across the Cascade Moun
tains wae imperative to aid in the de
velopment of large areas on either
side of the range. He also pointed
out that making the forests more ac
cessible, great p!ayground3 ' for " the
publtc would be made available, and
ultimately tourist travel would be
come a factor of great Importance.
He said that Oregon's share from trie.
Government's appropriation of $1,000..
000 a year for 10 years for .National
forest roads would amount to $i27,80G.
In order that thia fund may accom
plish the greatest possible develop
ment, he said that it Is essential that
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-the state and counties co-operate with
the Forest Service on an equal basis
In expenditures. Me continued:
The Forest Service is Interested In these
roada because they will make the work of
administering the work of the National
forest easier and more economical.. They
will also increase the receipts from suph
sources ae special use permits for - Summer
home sites, and brlngr people to know what
a playground we have In the National forests.
This view of the use of roads from a
recreation standpoint must not be lost sight
of. The roads of Southern California are a
legitimate investment, for they return their
value many times over in the use they get,
and also in the revenue which they bring
to the state from the tourist travel. It is
estimated that this tourist travel in Cali
fornia brings at least $100,000,000 annually
to the southern part of the state from this
source.
In the state, of Colorado it is estimated
that the tourists leave at least $40,000,000
annually In the state. If the state of Ore
gon should , expend $10,000,000 in the con
struction of roads and thereby attrrfct to the
state $1,000,000 a year of tourist money It
would be thought a very good investment,
and yet that is not 1 per cent of the amount
spent by American tourists in Europe be
fore the. war.
These tourists would be interested most In
the magnificent mountain scenery. They
must be able to see these mountains, how
ever, without too much hardship, and this
means good roads $ through the mountains
and consequently through . the National
foresta
Various Pavements Discussed.
Discussing the selection of different
types of pavements and the needs of
paving", J. W. Cunntngnam, former con
nected with the Wisconsin highway de
partment, said:
The paving Question is the subject of
much fallacy and misconception. It has
been the outlet of a great deal of "bunk.
There Is no one type of- pavement which Is
ideal for all conditions of climate, soil and
traffic The choice of pavement fr any
road should depend upon the particular
requirements to be met.
Stone block, brick, and wood block pave
ments are the best that can be found for
extremely heavy traffic. One of these types
of pavement would, for example, have been
advisab4e for the Linntoh road. For gen
eral use on country highways,, such pave
ments are barred by their high cost.
The pavements which are most generally
adaptable for Oregon conditions are made
up of different combinations of three ele
ments: Portland cement, California asphalt,
and crushed rock,. - The- eement or the
asphalt form the cementing or binding ma
terial which holds together the crushed rock
or other mineral . matter. , It , has been
claimed that both the asphalt and cement
are the products of "trusts-and the prices
charged for them are exorbitant. If either
or both of these trusts does exist, we should
in our road laws adopt means to cope with
them.
Successful pavements have been made
both from Portland cement and from as
phalt lu combination with crushed rock. In
Multnomah County we - have examples of
both the cement concrete and the asphaltlc
concrete pavements which " are successful.
The oholce between these types will depend
upon the conditions to be met and the prices
at which they can be secured. The cement
concrete on account of its rigidity has ad
vantages for a new grade. ' It Is also less
slippery than an asphaltic pavement. The
asphaltic concrete pavements have partlc
ular advantages where the problem is to
resurface an old macadam road, because of
their relative cheapness.
The cost of pavements has an Important
bearing upon their choice. Costs may be
analyzed into material, fuel, plant, labor, and
other Items. The costs of materials for
asphaltic concrete or bitullthlc pavements
are less than for cement concrete on account
of their lesser thickness. The actual costs
per square yard or pavement for labor are
much less than has. been generally under
stood They are 20 cents for asphaltic con
crete and HrV cents for cement concrete. The
total reasonable contract prices for cement
concrete pavement, using market .prices for
materials, is to $1.50. a
Reasonable contract prices for asphaltic
concrete 3 Inches thick are $0.75 to $0.80.
To these latter prices would hav to be
added the price of a- fease, varying from
$0.75 down to $0.15. The actual cost of
bitulithio is somewhat less than asphaltlo
concrete, though the amounts of royalties
would have to be added In. Situllthic roy
alties in Multnomah County-have been about
so cents per square yard.
Paving Is justifiable, providing that we
eliminate politics, make a scientific cholee
or tue proper pavement for the proper loca
tion, ana proviaing that pr-ce are "right.
- R. H. Thomson, ex-City Engineer of
Seattle, in reviewing the discussions,
declared ihat - the subjects were, of
N s. -
(1) Tentative Plan of System of State
of Economics and Soeloloicr at University of Oreron, Who Has Change of
Conference. (3) J. V. Cunnlnehant, of Portland. (4) Professor C. B.
McCBllough, of Oregon Agricultural College. 5 Professor S. H. Graf, ot
Oregon Agricultural College. 6) A. G. Johnson, of Department of Public
Works, of Portland. '
tremendous importance to -the people
of Oregon. He pointed out"how modern
transportation and good road-s are pla
cing: the farms in direct connection
with consuming markets, (declaring; that
without cities in whicH to sell prod
ucts lino roads are of "no avail, for
the farmer then cannot' make a living."'
"In the matter of road building we
should hasten slowly." said Mr. Thon
son. "The f-rst thing to do is to ob
tain an organization of men to lay and
carry on the planning of roads con
secutively ffom certain centers.-
"In regard to the benefits from tour
ist travel, there is nothing more profit
able in clean coin, if the roads are of
the proper sort.
"A person, however, will not travel
for two or three days' hard riding to
see one thing." he said, " we should
find some particular th'ng In the state
worth traveling to see and then nulla
something else near it. In building
roads we first must have our eye on
the cities and centers of business, ex
cept for the several good and neces
sary arterial thoroughfares."
Mr. Thomson will address tne conier-
ence at 10:30 tomorrow morning on
Organization, of Highway systems.
NIGHT
SESSION
IS
HELD
O. A. C. Professor Explains. Work
ings of Iowa Code.
At the night session of the Common
wealth Conference C. B. McCullough, as
sistant professor of civil engineering
at the Oresron Agricultural College, ex
plained -the workings of the Iowa road
code. Thomas H. McDonald, state
highway engineer of Iowa, who was on
the programme for a discussion of this
subject, was -unable to attend the con
ference, and Mr. McCullough. who for
merly resided in Iowa, spoke In his
stead.
-"The lewa road" code was adopted In
1913, and has- proved a marked suc
cess," said Professor "McCullough. "It
has eliminated the bad features of the
old system. It has simplified the method
pS collecting funds under tax levies.
An Important feature was the creation
of a State Highway Board, vested with
executive power and in charge of
supervision of road and bridge work
in the state. " Among the board's duties
are the devising and adopting of plans
for roads and bridges and organizing
efficiency engineering work. The board
Issues a bulletin regularly covering all
phases of highway work and prob
lems. "The system also provides for the
creation of county engineers. With
trained txperts to direct the work and
safeguard the expenditure of fund3 for
construction, a great saving to the
taxpayers has resulted. The system
also provides for standard specifi
cations for all construction, and as a
result many of the evils of the old sys
tem have been eliminated.
"The present method of letting con
tracts also proved a big Improvement
i over the old system, where (little con-
Route.. 2 K. G. Yoonr. Professor
tractors, wlthono business or finan
cial rating, often found the ex
ploitation of public funds an easy
matter, as the work was done without
plans of specifications. The new sys
tem provides for adequate supervision.
and every contract Is awarded, to the
lowest responsible bidder.
"Under the system every penny for
highway work in Iowa Is accounted
for. all work is done under strict super
vision, and as a result the people of
Iowa are getting value received for
every dollar expended on road main
tenance and construction."
The explanation of the workings of
tne lowi system aroused much Inter
est and a general discussion followed.
Fred W. Sarr, deputy highway commis
Only
Hurry if
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7? L
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5CNe..FBOMjTHEJAWAKENNOOp HEtENA.RICHIE;
In a Vivid Pictiirization of the Popular Book
. ...... .
' The 'Awakening :
of Helena Richie
Weekly
Broadway
sioner of New York, supplemented his
remarks given at the afternoon ses
sion by explaining some of the salient
features of the New York code.
Dr. Alfred 8. Schmitt, vice-president
of the First National Bank of Albany,
presided.
This morning's session will convene
at 10 o'clock, with O. W. Taylor, presi
dent of the Oregon good roads com
mittee, as chairman. Addresses will
be given by Dr. L. L Hewes, engineer
in charge of the first district for Fed
eral grant of aid to highways, on "The
Highway as an Investment": F. J. Mil
ler, of the Oregon Public Service Com
mission, on "The Necessity of Elimi
nating Railroad Grade Crossings Be
fore Permanent Paving," and C. E.
Spence, master of the Oregon State
Grange, on "How Cost of State, County
and District Roads Can Be Equably
Pl&ced Upon Those Who Use Them
and Are Benefited by Them."
The afternoon session will be de
voted entirely to the consideration of
the proposed highway code. x
HOOVER
DEAD
Well-Known Portland Timberman
Passes at Town He Founded.
ALBANY. Or.. Jan. 3. (Special.)
W. A. Hoover, founder of the town of
Hoover, eastern terminus of the old
Corvallls & Eastern Railroad, now a
Southern Pacific branch, and for many
years connected with the Hoover Lum
ber Company, which operated a saw
mill there, died today at Hoover. He
was about 60 years old.
Mr. Hoover had resided in Portland,
alternating between there and Hoover, i
He was one of the best-known timber-1
men of this section of the state. !
Bend Bank Chits Melon for Staff. ;
BEND. Or., Jan. Z. (Special.) Car- '
rying out & profit-sharing plan, rut :
Into effect last Summer, the First Na- !
tional Bank of Bend has just des-
trtbuted among Its employes a sum
amounting to a. full month's salary for
each. Last July the bank distributed
half a month's wages. In addition to
these gifts, the bank has1 made sub
stantial Christmas gifts to Its em
ployew. today and 2 days
you're going to see that wonder
ful double-feature bill at the Star record-breaking
crowds talk of the town.
Cliarlie
on roller skates in his newest,
funniest, latest, best comedy,
"The Rink." - On the same
wonderful programme a
stirring 5-act superdra
zzz. matic photoplay, "Arms
and the Woman," with
' beautiful
Mary Nash
see this great bill
today at the
Star
Daily
from
10 A.
M.
Ciia.pl
IB a.iiy inioFe
V
Special Music
Symphony Orchestra
SCHOOL COST GAINS
Statistics Show Greater Effi
ciency From Expenditures.
RECORD OF. 1873 COMPARED
Superintendent Churchill Explains
Increases by Longer Year More
Pay for Teachers and Greater
Number of High Schools.
SALEM. Or.. Jan. S. (Special.) In
teresting statistics on development of
public schools in the state since the
organization of the educational depart
ment In 1S73 down to the close of 1916
have been prepared by State Superin
tendent of Publlo Instruction Churchill.
That the percentage of cost has In
creased much more rapidly than the
number of pupils Is explained by Su
JAMES
F i i ii SMEEi.-.J-, r ' 1 Vf W t 1
Announces:
. Beginning Next Sunday, January 7,
The Wonder of the Age
Jules Verne's
20,000
Under
The first and only photo-drania filmed on the
bottom of the ocean
2: V x '
-s $-.-.j. r-UJ- v..-
She Chose
Between a
Man and
Her Child
Comedy
perintendent Churchill by the length
ened school year, by the better paid
teachers, by the greater number of
high schools, with the consequent
additional equipment and facilities..
While there used to be only three high
schools In the state outside of Port
land, at Baker, Astoria and Ashland,
there are today 175 fully standardized,
with 125 more offering some secondary
training, or fully 300 schools which
offer high school advantages. In con
nection with the greater number of
these are manual training, musical,
commercial and other departments, not
dreamed of when the educational de
partment of the state came-into belns.
Since 1873 the number of school dis
tricts, Mr. Churchll's statement shows,
has Increased from 125 to 2519. The
average number of school months
gradually has Increased from 4.5 to
7.5. The average salary of teachers
in 1873 was 347.51 for men and $43.70
for women, while now the average is
$87.14 for men and ? 63.6 1 for women
teachers. v
The schools in 1873 received $71,152
from district tax. while in 1916 they
received a total of $4. 019. 936.51 from
the same source. In, 1873 they re
ceived $80,437 lrom county tax and
last year $1,914,503.94, while they re
ceived from state funds In 1873 but
$32,420, as compared to $379,680.07. The
total amount of the school fund re
ceived was $184,010 in 1873. as com
pared to $9,313,502.95 in 1916.
The school census In 1873 showed
88,670 more than 4 years and less than
20 years, while in 1916 the total num
ber w 809.028.
THEATER
gues
the
No th ing
Like It
on Earth
Every man, woman and
child should see this mar-'
velous picture. First time
shown West of Chicago.
SUM
ii i is I ""' ' - '
aT 1
Lea
Sea
I
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