Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1886-05-18
GOOD COMMON ROADS,
.Np nov TO SlKr rurN

/ fNA4 iriualfs NNAeN ~ NeN ~"
ness Of the season. il is time nov. Thsf'
has been = grea, deal Of discussion on the
road question. and there ough, 10 be. iol
every body Il interested in road. Bat
~hile much has been said. les has been
done. We have come across TREATISE
on road.mAking. written by Prof Bates
Of Detroit, which We think contains some
good IDEAS oar space will no; allow az
70 reproduce the article en,irs, bat VI
will give sufficient number Of extracts
70 show ihA, the gentleman knows whA
be /. talking about. Prof. Bates ha'
been President Of the League Of Amefi.
esa whselmsn. and no class in the world
are better posted on What constitutes the
diffevnoe bs,-een good and poor roads
than the professional bicyeler. The pa
per vas written for and published il
"Ouiisy. magazine devoted to out
door hfe;
The common roads OF The United States,
a. q rule, sre worse than those oi any
country % Elrope except Rassia. sni they
AT far behind those of Canads, rotwiih'
standing he fact that The United States Is
The richss- couutry In The world, AMI the
bcsi able 20 make desifaoie pablo In
provemerts.
IL really astonishing - one who stud
ies HI. subject that farmers - class are
- lnd r-rent % good roads. Ani often 80
opposed % makiug good roads, on account
/ " thslr false lisA. 90 The expense, aud thelf
/ Ignorance % IN benefits 20 themselves oi
goot roafs tlence. they, ~ class, cln.
stiinic perhaps The mNin mass or the oP'
poneuts 90 reform in our rOat systems
Or. n not opponents they take snail IN
,srcst lu Tie matter. ani a. not elect leg
islAiors who will either AivocAte AMI vote
| Tor reform or pay much attsutipu - the
subject Yet II II easily dsmonsIkiei, ani
ii hAs been proved ~ experience, that good
roads are OF more importance 20 farmers
than % any other class taAt good rosi.
pay farmers larger proft than any Other
pghilc improvements that good roads not
/ Only raise The value ~ every acre or land
which horders upon then. oat raise also
the market price % AL crops ani proiaee
raised up0n farms ior which tscy furnish
.cccss - market Experience has also
shown that The cost % = ftsi class ROAD II
actually les in = pcrloi % thirty % nfiy
wears than ihe cost of The worst roai that
/ gooi roads MAKE light roAi taxes. Tie
/ frst cost % good roAf Il more Than TIE
/ ar.t cost ofa hAi roai bat 80 Il The trs,
cost 90 gOoi ploaga more than the nfsi
| co.t OF hai one AMI The ffsi cost of gopi
seed. 20 goOi hogs. of good cattle, OF good
horses. ani % gooi farming is,i. 4. more
than TIE frst cost OF poor ones let eV'
ery farmer knows that, 10 AL these ialngs'
i TIE bcsi j. TIE cheapest Ani most proni'
abe In The long run. good. hard, smooih
/ road. over which farmer can haul q his
/ load % mukei AZ any season, ani espfc'
/ i1ly AZ tae worst season - htcalse ths
prices be can g,t Arc always hlghcsi 10 ne
worst seAs1n-ls the greatest boon farm
er can have. Iti. also The creates. boon
the marke. village can have. itpAys better
than any other Onc ihing Tor Which Nte-
A., lsvl~i. Aftsr IT, rr.i cost. 10 4. cheap
/ II requires little repairs, anf u Will last
/ forever GA TIE other hani bal roai, bad
/ IN improved. constantly uses up money and
work Cor repairs AMI. no matter bow heAVi
are the taxes pat upon IL. IL never gets any
better And. beside. its cost, bal road
cAases ths farmers The loss of markets Dur
ing TIE wtt season. which isthe very season
when they eau SO 10 work a, home, And
when mafketprlces are Highest In villages.
All dWsllsrs ln villages oasht a'so - b
deeply interested ln hAViog cool roAis.
G0Oi coaatry roAis are % more Import
auce tothem than railroads. Nillsgcs usu
ally cepeud for their baslness, ant a'so foi
their supplies. upOa The eoan,ry rOani
a5oat them TIE colniry roAis arc ihslr
sole ds9cntencs Tor connection between
them And their customers, snd also beiNeet
them aud their supplies % provisions ani
fuel. Bai roads tnai. twice OF thrice eacf
year. are almost impossible, ani oVei
which heavy loAis cannot be haliei a. anl
tine with ease. Increase largely TIE toiA
annual cost % tse people of such villages
of their batter, eggs. vegetables, i1el, an
provision. generally. They also cost then
tie loss, during The wet seasons, OF much
profitable trade.
In order % obtain gooi roads u Is rfs'
necessary 20 Orgsnits gooi hisaSA'
system. Ani. A. the basis OF al pghhS
improvements IL Ia the law, the rrsi rrea
step i % secure wise legislation. IL
PREPARE Tor this We must nrst Ascerialt
shat are the radical defects 10 our present
Highway laws ant systems, ani nni Ou'
why oar laws AMI highway taxes haV,
failed t0 provide us with good roais-A
comparison OF road lAws and systems
shows that. wherever there are good roads
they have almost Invariably been con
s,ructed under cash aud contract system
While The result OF the laws which permi'
road taxes 20 be worked out II nearly
Invariably bad roads. No one who take
. IrrFs - A
The Highway laws can fail 20 come 10 th'
CONCLUSION that the beginning OF all reform
Les in The adoption OF the cash system, =
that i, system under which the "A" vi
compel the payment OF road taxes 10 eash
Iast like other taxes, and not allow then
10 De paid Ia labor. Good roads are con
siructed under contract, like eiiy pave
msnts.-the county, township, or dlsire
employing q contractor 10 DO The work
snd paving him In cash raised BY taxation
wherever farming population Il CON
PEELED 10 pay taxes ln cash, u Is more Ger
tain thsn any other class of people 10 loe'
sharply afsr The proper expenditure OF "
money. and see 10 10 that good return u
ob,alned Tor every dollar expended.
Its evident from the nature OF the cas-
that good roads cannot be constructed IN
Der he system which allows TAX payers u
work Out their highway taxes. The con
structlou OF good road requires that
shall De 0egun and completed before N
work Is stopped. Also that u shall be be
gun AZ some point. and completed A. M
work proceeds toward some other point
upon a regular system aud plAn' base
upon scientific survey, the same A. "a
paving OF city street. Such WORK can
not be done by odd Jobs scattered alOn.
is llne. 10 Different years. When the graz
ing ls done, n the work stops for yea
without putting on the wearing surface
In short time The carefully graded TOP o
the road becomes spoiled, and the io1nds
ton has 20 be done 0Ser again. Above a.
N need. 10 be remembered that, ever
time the surface OF road i disturbed
arer II has Ouce been settled, posiil'
iplury Is done. When rosd-m>ksrs Get 70
gsther annually. under prstenee OF WORK
ing out their taIss. and disturb The settle
surface of q road. plough up aud shove
, over ia sides, and pile new dirt on Us top
they are simply ipjaring. rather than oene
nt,ing. the highway. When The sol Is one
Thoroughly settled. care should De take
not 10 disturb H. The longer u remains az
disturbed the more solid Is The foundation
f,r . good road. Therefore the true an
only way Il 10 prepare the grade and msk
All necessary bitches, emoAnkments' nl
ing.. etc. iast once; 10 make them Jus
,tght tha ar.t time; 20 carefully nll an