McADAM CENTENARY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 121, 23 April 1936, Page 10

McADAM CENTENARY.

FAR-REACHING INVENTION

“FATHER OF MODERN ROADS.”

The year 1936 marks the centenary of the death of a man whose work has contributed more than any other to the spreading of the network of wonderful high roads that now cover the earth. • Thanks to the inventions of John Loudon McAdam, who died at Moffat on November 26, 1836, the progress of modern thoroughfares has been more rapid in the past century than at any other period in history. In commemoration of his death the Institution of Municipal and County Engineers, representing the roadmaking engineers of Great Britain, have decided to erect a tablet in Wellington Square, Ayr, where McAdam is known to have lived, and the Provost of Moffat has stated that the date of his death will be marked by a ceremony at Moffat. A living tribute to the far-reaching effects of his work lies in the world-wide use of'the term “macadamise” with regard to road surfaces. In point of fact, his name was pever spelled otherwise than as McAdam, and the spelling Macadam is erroneous. Furthermore, tar, with which his name is frequently coupled, did not come into use until after his death. „ , , ~ The importance of McAdam s discovery lay in his demonstration that the use of chipped stones as a surface rendered a yielding foundation as good as, if not better than, the costly foundation of hard stone previously believed indispensable. His discovery made road-making incomparably easier, faster and cheaper than was ever before thought jiossible. McAdam’s system was first tried in London in . 1817, when he laid approaches to Westminster and Blackfriars Bridges. Six years later he was named Su'rveyor-General to the Commissioners of Metropolitan Turnpike Roads. As deputy-lieutenant for the County of Ayr he had already devoted much of his time to local road improvements and while stationed at I 1 almouth had further studied road conditions in the south-west of England. In 1816 he became surveyor of the Bristol Turnpike Trust. After his appointment to the metropolitan roads he spent the remaining 20 years of his life improving the highways throughout Great Britain, and died during one of his road tours. Besides the erection of the monument at Ayr, which is expected to be unveiled in November, the Institution of Municipal and County Engineers will periodically hold contests among it* members for technical papers on highway problems, to be rewarded by a John London McAdam Gold Medal and Premium.