Remarks on the Present System of Road Making: With Observations, Deduced from Practice and Experience, With a View to a Revision of the Existing Laws, and the Introduction of Improvement in the Method of Making, Repairing, and Preserving Roads, and Defending the Road Funds from Misapplication. Seventh Edition, Carefully Revised, With an Appendix, and Report from the Select Committee of the House of Commons, June 1823, with Extracts from the EvidenceMcAdam, John Loudon
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Remarks on the Present System of Road Making: With Observations, Deduced from Practice and Experience, With a View to a Revision of the Existing Laws, and the Introduction of Improvement in the Method of Making, Repairing, and Preserving Roads, and Defending the Road Funds from Misapplication. Seventh Edition, Carefully Revised, With an Appendix, and Report from the Select Committee of the House of Commons, June 1823, with Extracts from the Evidence
McAdam, John Loudon
Macadam roads; Roads -- Great Britain
From your observation of the different roads throughout the kingdom, do
you think that important advantages would be derived from their being
placed under skilful surveyors, acting for large districts?—At present,
the separate trusts are so exceedingly different in extent, many of them
extending only three, four and five miles, while others have fifty or a
hundred miles of road under their trusts, that it seems impracticable,
in many trusts, to employ a very skilful and competent surveyor, on
account of the great and unnecessary expense that would be incurred on
the short lengths of road; but if the legislature should see it right to
enact the appointment of thoroughly competent district surveyors, who
might have the superintendence and control, to a defined extent, over
the officers of the local trustees of turnpike roads, as well as over
the surveyors of the parish roads within their districts, the most
important advantages would result.
Do you not think great inconvenience arises from the great numbers
generally found forming commissioners of turnpike trusts?—From my own
experience, I cannot say that I have seen any evil from the great number
of trustees, on the contrary, the greatest mismanagement that I have
seen in any roads, has arisen from the clergymen of the districts being
almost the only acting trustees; the greatest and most active land
owners frequently having no share in such trusts: the late duke of
Bedford, for instance, not being a trustee in the vicinity of Woburn for
many years after he took an active part in improving the district.
_James Walker_, Esq. called in; and Examined.
You are a civil engineer?—I am.
In the course of your experience have you turned your attention to the
making and repairing of roads?—I have been employed in the making and
repairing of several roads, and the regulation of others.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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