Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1845-02-24

f)f the COmmlttee on hOdus, upOu tIlc part OF the
Governors Message relative to roads, which was
referred to them and also, upon the petition of
citizens of Racine County, for the incorporation
of Company 10 construct Turnpike or Plank
Road from Southport to Beloit.
The Committee on Reads, 10 whom was
referred so much Of the Governors mes
sage as relates TO roads, and also the petit
lion Of citizens Of Racine county. for the
Incorporation Of company 10 construct a
turnpike or plank road from Southport 10
BeloiI, respectfully
REPORT:
That few subjects OF legislation are Of
greater importance to a political community
than that OF roads. TIE state of these has
In all nations beeI the index Of civilization
and commercs. Witness, for instance, the
"ail OF the savage; the mule paths O. the
ssmi-barbarous South American; the al
most impossible cart tracks Of Spain and
the broad and firm highways Of Great Bril-
tain and France. In point of necessity,
good roads are second only to habitaticns.
and necessary food and clothing; and in
point Of national prosperity and greatness,
they rank next to moral and intellectual
SduSuNOL. IG nave UCCl ICsuIuCu VI
the highest Importance by statesmen in
every civilized and commercial nation; and
often have they devoted to them their per-
sonal supervision. 1t was by means Of her
grea; roads, which radialed from the capitol
TO the frontiers Of the empire, that Rome
dfused the arts and civilization to her dis
tant barbarous provinces; and the remains
oil some Of these great works which have
vithstood the touch of time, and the wear
and tear Of nations for nearly eighteen
centuries, ore among the proudest monu-
nents which remain Of that great people.
In our own country, the art of road
making has not received that attention
which lis merits demand. While great
improvements have been made in other
kinds OF public wcrks, and there has been
a rapid advancement 10 the science Of civil
enginee ring, little or no improvement has
been made in the construction O. common
roads. Two ruis for The wheels and a path
for the team ore too commonly the only
claims they have 10 be denominated roads
aud why is this Certainly not because
the importance Of good roads is not felt and
acknowledged. Ask any intelligent man
who has reflected on the subject, and he
will tell you that they encouraged agricul-
ture and increase lis products,by bringing
as it were a ready market 10 every mans
door; that they facilitate commerce, save
time and expense, the labor Of animals
and the wear and breaknge Of carriages
that they do away with pTejudces and Pc
culiaritis in a state by encouraging fire.
quent intercourse, produce uniformity OF
thought, feelings and interests, dffase re-
anement liz manners, and by their equal
ling and harmonizng effects, bind neigh
borhoods AMI towRs, and tho whole State
together more powerfully than any other
cause whatever. Why then, we ask, when
these are The acknowledged effects Of roads,
are they 80 much neglected! 1t is not be-
cause there is not usually a sufficient tax
imposed for their construction and repair,
for this is frequently onorons. But the
real difficulty, as your committee believe,
lies in the road system itself. Let Us brief
fy look at lis practical operation: FIRST, we
have almost as many roads laid out, al
much expense Of time and money, as there
are furms and interests 10 be nccon,moda-
led. In the next place, few Of these are
worked; and such as are worked, are only
partially so /; and IN such a slight and un-
skllful manner that the labor is frequently
thrown away, to say nothing of the partial
ity which too frequently dictates its appli-
cation. And then, with what spirit is the
work performed : OF all inefficient and
Improbable labor, if it deserves that NAME
road work is the most so. 1t is as great a
Il J,,e,.,, I'D.
prize, as our militia trainings ore on Anne
ricun courage and Frowess. Men have &c
be- urged TO 1t as 10 q task, which they lazi
" commerce al the eleventh hour and qui
at the first convenient opportunity. Agar
We ask, why is this ? 1t is for the same
reason that slave labor is not more than
0ne-third as prod uclive as free labor Man
must have a sufficient motire, md direc
indiridual and paIpable interest to call forth
exerion. This he has not under the pre-
sent road sy stem; and hence we conceive
II is radically defective. These remarks
apply with more or less force, so far as
your committee are aware, TO the road sys
fem adopted in all the States as we'll as in
our own Territory. And welded to it as
We are by long practice and general usage
IL 10 doubtful whether we can DO induce
10 yisld i, for better. But i, is desirable
FOR Wisconsin,, now ia the infancy Of her
Institutions, so to frame hsr laws on thi.
subject as shall be consonant with The die
,aies Of enlightened reason and experience
Tho limits of this report will not allow the
committee TO go into detail on this subjeci
they can, therefore, only glance at the
leading features Of the system they would
recommend. And the first is 10 levy q tax
Ia money instead Of statute labor.
We know that many objections would be
raised TO this; but we believe such course
would not cause the public half what il now
does, and our roads would be vastly better.
Second. To place the cong;ruction and
repair Of oil roads in the hands Of some
supervisory power that shall act generally
anG equally throughout the whole county.
4hird' Let each county be divided into
aarge districts and placed under the charge
OF superintendent with q fixed salary.
whose duty ii shall be 10 construct and re-,
pair al the roads in his district.
Without stopping 10 enlarge. the COM
mit,ee would merely state thai This svs,ero