The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1884-04-05
RALEIGH. N O. SATURDAY., APRIL

RALI
FOR BETTER ROADS.
THE PROPOSITION OF AN ENTER.
PRISING TAXPAYER
To Have the Streets and the Reads
Leading into the City Permanently
Improved by Bonds.
To THE CHRONIcLE-The Indian in his
savage home neither wants or needs read.
This is the savage state of man. Going
from this condition of man along the line
of civilization and progress we find alto
about roads, and the more progressive and
the greater the intelligence the higher the
civilization, the better we find the roads.
Indeed it is truly said, s'the civilization Of
q people can be told and known by the
roads they use and the care they take of
their dead" Now then, if this be true,
if indeed our standard of civilization and
progress is to be measured and known by
the condition of the streets in Raleigh and
the roads for miles away leading into it,
during the muddy season the stranger who
comes here must go away feeling that civ
ilization and comfort must be looked for
in some other quarter of the globe, rather
than in this capital city and the country
around it.
/ think it was Cromwell that told his
painter to sspaint him Is he was. But II
Is not my object now to paint orr streets
or roads as they are, every body knows
this, but to show what should and could
be done to change their condition and the
| advantage it will be to all the people of
Wake county and all sections that do their
trading here. The old fossil idea of old
fogies that everything must go on in the
old way and be like it has been and no
| change must be made for the public good
that costs money, must be exploded and
| succumb to the more modern idea of uni
versal progress and combined effort, and
what cannot be done by individuals must
| be done by communities, counties and
| States
The greatest mistake Raleigh ever made
| or can make was when she voted down
! the proposition to raise $50, 900 by taxa
| ton to improve her streets. Why2 Be-
| cause the sanitary condition of the city
demanded it; because the public safety,
pleasure, happiness and enjoyment of the
| people demanded it; because the public and
| trade of the city demanded it; because
L
and every business man, and every man,
woman and child, black and white, would
have been benefited by it; because
| every man, woman and child that ever
| will come here on a visit or to stay would
have been benefited by it. So much for
the city of Raleigh. And while all have
said is true there is another matter just as
important, and perhaps more so, so far as
the public is concerned, and that is the
putting in proper order all the roads lead
ing into the city, at least for five miles
| away.
| The city of Raleigh is not alone yitally
! interested in this, but every man, woman
| and child in Wake county is interested in
| it. This is the centre of trade for the
| whole county and adjoining counties, and
/ while we have railroad facilities for many,
q large majority of people trading here
come here in their wagons, buggies, ETC.,
and have to take their supplies and fertil-
izers out over these roads and bring back
their cotton and other produce over the
same to sell. The great tobacco trade
that will soon centre here will all come
over these roads. So it is plain that while
the people of Raleigh are largely interest
ed, the whole people of Wake and the sur
rounding country are more so.
How much the farmers of Wake have
lost in wasted time, ruin of team, wreck
ing of wagons, buggies and other vehicles
and harness, to say nothing of the ankle
ty and vexaciOus trouble on account OF
the condition of these roads in the last
fifteen years no one can tell. How much
the trade of Raleigh has lost by it and is
still losing by it every day, no one knows
1t is safe to say Wake county and Raleigh
have already lost more that it will cost K
macadamize every road that comes int
L Del Eook ID k4vH s14
away in the last fifteen years. While tn.
city of Raleigh cannot do better thing
than to put her streets and sidewalks il
that condition that her commercial AMI
the public interest demand, the county O
, Wake should move at once to meet tn
public need, for putting these roads il
that condition demanded by the presen
, welfare and future prosperity of the Who'll
people, let it cost what it may.
{ 1t is impossible, under tho present sys
tenn, to put these roads in order or evel
keep them in good condition, if they wer
fixed. 1t is absolutely necessary to do
+ by taxation if it is done at all. In som
. sections the old time way of working th
; roads by day labor may do, but on thes
! roads the work demanded is so great tina
the hands allotted to them cannot posi-
/ bly, do it, and if they could they ough
: not to do it, because they are used an
cut up by the whole people OF the county
q The present system Of working the road
. is all wrong any way; it was well enoug
Q | as long rs the country was sparsely settle
Z and little use was made Of the roads. an
4 it took but little work to keep them IN O
: der, but now as the country become
i crowded and the roads more general
4 used and cut up it will not answer.
o The true theory of government is
/. make itS hnrf1ens hear enl1a11v TY,On =
9 citizens, the rich and the poor alike; ths
8 property should bear it's proportion Of I'll
9 burdens of government as well as the .ci
izen which is not the case under the In