HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
AUTOMOBILES AND GOOD ROADS
A Department Designed to Help Fanners With Progressive Road Ideas.
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Logan W alter P age Is d irector
o f roads in the D epartm ent o f
A griculture and an ackn ow ledged
expert on expenditure.
T his is
the seeohd o f two articles d ealing *£•
with his views. W e coun sel
our ,4*
readers to study it.
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RATIONAL
aid road im provem en t
ation a
is one \ o c f the plans proposed, and
ve
no
doubt this plan will
I have
be inaugurated in the near future.
State aid is already w ell under way,
and has been constantly grow in g since
1891, when New Jersey first em barked
on the plan o f having aid granted
d irectly by the state, and a m easure
o f state supervision provided. Counties
and states are bon din g them selves to
build hard-surfaced roads, and this is
helping to som e extent, but to my
m ind the prim ary necessity is so to
reform and revise our existing road
system s as to insure the e fficie n t c o n ­
struction o f the roads, continuous and
adequate m aintenance and honest and
cai»able handling* o f our road rev­
enues.
I had hoped that when the states as
units took hold o f the road problem
tho> at least w ould elim inate to a very
great degree the baneful influence of
politics, but the history o f the changes
in state highw ay departm ents during
the last 10 years w ould indicate that
. p olitics is as active there as in local
subdivisions. D uring the past 10 years
there have been changes in the c o n ­
trol o f the engin eerin g w ork in the
. state highw ay departm ents o f Arizona,
C onnecticut, Delaware, Maine, M ary­
land, M ichigan, Missouri, New H a m p ­
shire. New Jersey, New Y ork, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, W ashington and W est
V irginia. In the state o f New Y ork
alon e there have been nine changes
m ade in the state highw ay departm ent
in the last 15 years. W hile it w ould
not be fair to characterize all o f these
chan ges as unjustifiable, it is evident
that the tenure o f o ffice is. as a g en ­
eral rule, insecure; that the officia l,
w h o should be absolutely free from
political control, is alm ost totally un­
able to act except at the dictates of
those very forces.
Civil Service A dvocated.
T he rem edy, to my m ind, is the en-
aotm ent o f strict and clea r-cu t civil
service legislation a p p licab le to the
entire road system in the each state,
and the consclentiqus and wise en ­
forcem ent o f such legislation. In the
_ first place, a state highw ay engineer
should be chosen by a non-partisan
board, and should hold o ffice at the
discretion o f such a board. A ll su b­
ordin ate positions In the departm ent
should be filled by rigid com petitive
exam inations, w ithout regard to party
affiliations.
At this point I wish to
call Attention to the fa ct that we have
recen tly filled the o ffice o f assistant
d irector o f the United States o ffice o f
p ublic roads by such a com petitive ex ­
am ination, aqd p ra ctically^ou r entire
fo rce , from m essenger boy to d irector.
Is filled in the sam e way. T he re­
sults are Infinitely m ore satisfactory
than the old spoils system.
In regard to cou n ty and tow nship
road work, l think it w ould be advis­
able. w herever the system o f g o v e rn ­
ment perm its, to have the cou n ty as
the sm allest unit o f adm inistration,
and to have one cou n ty o fficia l w ho
Is required by law to possess a p ra c­
tical know ledge o f road construction
and m aintenance, and w h o is ap p o in t­
ed after an exam ination to be pre-
acrlbed by the state highw ay d ep a rt­
m ent in conn ection with the State
civil service com m ission.
W h ile it
p rob ably w ould be necessary to give
the C ounty Board o f Com m issioners,
o r such o fficia ls as have ch arge of
coun ty affairs, the p ow er to rem ove
this road o fficia l, they should be c o m ­
pelled to appoint his su ccessor upon
certification from the register o f the
eligibles established by the state h ig h ­
way departm ent and the State Civil
S ervice C om m ission.
N
F a ir Com pensation Urged.
T his w ould prevent rem oval o f road
o fficia ls fo r the purpose o f substitut­
in g local politicians, and w ould tend
to perm anency o f o ffic e on the part o f
g o o d m en and the easy rem oval o f in­
com p eten t men T here should be p ro ­
v ided by legislation and regulation
su fficie n t com pensation fo r the coun ty
ro a d o ffic e r so that e fficie n t men
m igh t be attracted to the work. C on ­
stant em ploym ent should be given.
and his su bordinates should be c a p ­
able men, su pplied in accord a n ce with
the spirit o f the m erit system.
T he o b jection has been m ade to the
em ploym ent o f coun ty engineers that
som e coun ties are utterly unable to
pay a salary such as a com p eten t en­
gineer w ould require. T his d ifficu lty
can be ov ercom e in tw o ways, first by
legislation so fram ed as to perm it two
or m ore coun ties to join tly em ploy an
engineer, or, second, by m ak in g the
civil service regulations su fficien tly
elastic as to enable a practical and e f ­
ficien t su perintendent to be em ployed
rather than a high-salaried tech nical
engin eer where condition s appeared to
w arrant i t
Only when we arrive at
the state o f d evelopm ent w here we
recogn ize in the fullest degree the n e­
cessity fo r the ap p lication o f the m erit
system in road adm inistration in every
unit o f governm ent will we attain that
standard o f excellen ce in our public
j roads w hich w ould m ake them co m -
parable to the roads in E urope.
I
but the quantity o f the qjl used.
T he service rendered by the m otor
is so vital and the expense involved in
its overhau l and upkeep so gTeat that
it beh ooves the user and ow n er to see
that he is not handed “ any old th in g ”
fo r his oil tank, but sh ould insist upon
getting the righ t oil fo r his type o f
car.
W e will be pleased to corresp on d
with you in relation to any con d ition
pertaining to dental w ork.
T w enty
years’ p ra ctice in Oregon.
DR. M. A . JONES
Oil Is Important Factor W ith Auto
Sixty Per Cent of Motorists’ Troubles Are Due to Faulty
Lubricants, Says Fred J. Wagner
245 V% W ashin gton St.,
P ortlan d, O regon.
I W ANT A R E PO R T
on p rod u ce con d ition s in y ou r section.
W rite m e and I will advise YOU on
T hese acid-treated oils, if their use
m arkets.
is long continued, also have the effe ct
In time o f attack in g the m etal su r­
FRANK TEMPLETON
fa ces with w hich they are brough t
P rod u ce E xpert,
into contact. T he use o f the righ t oil
125 F ron t St., P ortlan d, Oregon.
fo r the lubricating o f the m otor is
vital and the car user m ust to a
W A N T E D — F A R M LANDS
certain extent rely upon the fid elity
We have citv property to exchange
and honesty o f the m an u factu rer of for farm lands. Tell us what you have.
that lubricant.
We will consider livestock, with or
without land. W ill exchange western
If the product used in the m otor is land for Eastern land or city property.
not suited to the purpose the dam age
S\\ A *K HHOTHEHS,
d one is gradual and insidious.
This
611 N orthwest Building.
dam age bein g o f a gradual character,
Portland. Oregon.
can n ot be observed from day to day, Main 4190.
as can the w'ear and tear on the tires
o f the car. T he viscosity, w h ich , in
H ave the trim m in gs on you r auto
oth er words, m eans the flu idity o f the n ickel-p lated. A lso all oth er kinds o f
oil, is also a fa ctor in its a fford in g finishes on any metal. W rite fo r
prices. Mail orders p rom p tly filled.
p rop er lubrication.
B y F R E D J. W A G N E R
o f oil experts has
proved that about 60 per cent o f
the trou bles to w hich m otors are
su bject is due prim arily to faulty lu b­
rication. T he rem arks are based on
m y ow n personal experience in the
oil business and not m erely from h ear­
say.
Faulty lubrication can be su bdivid­
ed into several classes— am on g them
im proper lubrication, insufficien t su p ­
ply, over-lu b rica tion and, m ost im ­
portant o f all, the fa ilu re to use a
pure oil draw n from the well section
o f Pennsylvania, w hich state produces
the best cru de oil; the failure to use
a lubricant free from acid treatm ent
or one with a h ig h -firin g point, good
viscosity and, In short, one w hich will
lubricate under all m otorin g c o n ­
W h ere the m otor is w orn and there
ditions.
is an ap p reciable play, either in the
The su pply o f P ennsylvania crude bearin g o r between the piston and c y l­
16th and A lder Streets,
oil is so lim ited and the dem and so inder walls, the purest oil that can be
P ortlan d, Oregon.
great that there has gradu ally crept obtained and o f a heavier grade is re ­
into the field o f au tom obile lu b rica ­ quired. W hen the m otor is new and
tion the use o f ch eap er products, the bearing and w earing parts fit YON W A N T A W E A L T H O F H A IR
com m on ly know n as
‘m idcontinent snugly and properly a lighter oil
O f cou rse you do. I can get results
oil,” having heavy asph altic bases, and should be used, that the best results fo r you, so let m e tell you how m y
treatm
ent will cure d a n d ru ff and stop
com in g from the fields in Indiana, m ay be expected.
fa llin g hair.
W rite now fo r in fo r ­
Illinois, K entucky. O klahom a, Texas
T he system o f lubrication used in m ation.
and through to the P a c ific Coast.
L E L IA OKI MRS,
the m otor is also a fa cto r w h ich should
P ennsylvania crude, having fo r its
389 A lder St.. P ortlan d, Ore.
help determ ine not only the ch aracter
base p araffin , o ffe rs the best oil fo r
the lubrication o f the au tom obile
m otor, consid ering the exactin g re­
quirem ents o f high speed, lo n g -c o n ­
tinued runs, the high heat generated
in the explosion cham ber, etc.
In order that this m idcontinen t and
W estern oil having an in ferior base
may ap p ear pleasing to the eye and
com pete or com pare, at least when o f ­
fered fo r sale, with the purer and
There Is Money in Your Old Freight Bills, but You Don’t Know
higher priced oils w hich com e from
the restricted fields o f Pennsylvania,
It— Let the Trans continental Traffic Association Find
the refiners o f the asph altic oils resort
It Out for You
to a num ber o f practices, none o f
w hich tends to im prove the quality
as a lubricant.
I f you are a m erchant w ho pays railroad or express ch arg es w c can
T he p ra ctice m ost frequently resort­
greatly benefit you and your business as a m em ber o f this A ssociation.
ed to is the treating o f the oil with
It
is
the aim o f T H E T R A N 8 -C O N T IN E N T A L T R A F F IC ASSOCIATION
an a cid ; then the attem pt later to neu­
to em bod y all o f the sh ippers and receivers o f freight within the states
tralize it with an alkali salt, and by
o f O regon and W ashington into one strong sh ipp ers’ association.
w ashing free the oil fro m both the
acid and the salt.
In theory thi» Is!
W e are a perm anent Institution fo r the beh efit o f the m erchants,
accom p lish ed ; in p ra ctice there remain
with general o ffice s m aintained at Portland. This association is pre­
a num ber o f salts entirely foreign to
pared at any tim e to handle and give expert service and inform ation
the oil a s ' a lubricant, but all of
on freight routing, ta riff rates and classification, overch arge, loss and
w hich, as they are foreig n products,
dam age claim s. Interstate C om m erce com plain ts and rate «litigation, in
tend to break dow n the oil under high
fa ct to p rotect and assist the sh ipper from every standpoint o f his trans*
degrees o f heat generated in the ex
portatlon.
plosion cham ber._______________________
-----
W o have proved that an association o f thts kind carries strength
and com m an ds respect o f the railroads, especially In the filin g o f claim s
fo r overcharges, etc. It is a well known fa ct that au ditin g com panies,
operatin g on a percentage o f the am ounts recovered as overch arges,
have little respect or standing with the railroads, and that a larger
percentage o f the claim s filed by them with the carriers are declined
O n l y »2 0 0 th e a s s t k a a d a im4 j
due to lack o f necessary eviden ce and know ledge required to present
at hom e.
claim s o f m erit in the p rop er m anner so as to reach the h igh er authority
We make the w ork easy and en­
over the regular clerical help o f the railroads.
joy a b le and guarantee reaalta.
E
x p e r ie n c e
OREGON PLATING W ORKS
Merchants, Attention!!
Become an Accom­
plished Musician
Competent Instructors.
E verything furnished except the
brains and Instruments.
W rite us today.
A V R R IC A S » ( HIM1I. o r HI SIC.
S1I-S17 Com m onw ealth Bldg
Portland. Ore.
Highest Cash Prices Paid
fo r drrsaed m eats, poultry, butter,
eg g » and fruits.
P ota toes and
onion s handled In ca r Iota. P rom pt
R eturns.
W rite ua fo r o u r regular m arket
letter.
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BURNETT & SONS
G eneral
P rod u ce
M erchant«,
143 F ron t Street. P ortland. O regon
T o any shipper or receiver o f freight the services o f this association
are invaluable and no operatin g business can a ffo rd to be w ithout it.
W> earnestly urge every m erchant to take advantage o f our
S P E C IA L IN T R O D U C T O R Y O F F E R . Our regular m em bersh ip fee is
Ten D ollars. F or thirty days we will deduct this fee from the ov e r­
ch arg e fu nd in your freight bills and return to you 50% o f the balance,
thus, w ithout any cash outlay, you are m ade a m em ber o f on e o f the
strongest and m ost efficien t tra ffic organisations in the West.
Write Us Today
The Tians-Continental Traffic
Association
411-412-413414 4K Panama Building
Portland, Oregon