URGES BRICK ROADS.

The New York Times
April 26, 1914

Auto Chamber of Commerce Favors Gov. Glynn's Plan.

No more significant good roads message ever has been delivered by a State Executive than that by Gov. Glynn at Albany a few days ago, according to the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce.

He said that New York must either change its road policy or prepare to levy a perpetual yearly road tax of $3 on every man, woman and child in the State.  Instead of roads that wear out in ten years and cost $1,000 a year per mile to maintain, roads must be built that will last from twenty to thirty years and cost only $10 to $50 a mile for repairs.  Even if New York were compelled to pay $25,000 a mile for brick roads he said it would be economy to build such roads instead of macadam roads in all places where the State highways are subjected to heavy automobile traffic.

Under the fifty-year bond issues the 12,000 mile State road system will wear out forty years before it is paid for unless durable construction is adopted.  Although the first cost of concrete roads is from $2,000 to $3,000 more per mile than the best macadam, and brick roads cost from $10,000 to $12,000 more, the saving in yearly maintenance of the brick road would amount to $10,000 a mile.  The Governor proposes to cut the cost of building such roads to a little higher than that of macadam roads by employing convicts in the manufacture of vitrified brick in plants to be erected by the State.