The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-12-11
Indiana Needs Good Roads.

roads is being discussed by the press. 1t
is an important question, and one that
has been two much neglected in the
United States, principally, no doubt, be-
cause of the rapid development of our
railroad system. All the countries of
Central and Western Europe have excel
lent systems of public highways. That of
France approaches perfection, and it is
gratifying to know that it is being studied
by American engineers, and not without
good results already. Some OF the eastern
states have recently passed laws providing
for the construction and maintenance OF
roads on the French system, and it would
be well if other states, including Indiana,
were to follow their example.
Our road laws are monuments of Iegis-
lative unwisdom and our roads, on the
average, are shocking bad affairs. Their
inferiority involves an enormous tax upon
agriculture, retards the development of
the state, depreciates the value of farming
lands situated at any considerable dis
tances from railroad towns, diminishes
the trade of our cities and towns, and
comfort and profanity every year which
it is appalling to contemplate. There is
no subject to which the people OF Indiana
can better devote their attention than
that of highway building and mainte-
nance. We ought to have the French
system, or something very like it, and if
the matter is properly agitated during the
next twelve months, the legislature OF
1891 will doubtless see the wisdom of es-
tablishing it.
This is a matter in which both city and
country people have an equal and direct
interest. A first-class system of roads
connecting Indianapolis with the sur
rounding country would benefit this city
more than any other material improve
ment that could be made, and it would
| benefit the farmers who buy and sell here
in an even greater ratio. Col. ALBERT A.
Pore of Boston, in an address upon the
subject of roads, recently delivered at SYRIA
cuse, n. Y, said: 1.-THE prosperity of
any city depends largely upon the sur
rounding country, and the better the road
facilities the faster the country will grow
in population" So the advantage of good
roads is mutual to both city and country.
As contemporary says:
A road over which bicycle can be ridden
with ease and safety will save hundreds of dol
lars to farmers and others driving heavy loads
| The earliest communities to recognize and act
upOn this truth will be the first 10 benefit by IL
Throughout this state and the whole country
are farms. eight or ten miles from the railroad
| whose value Is at a minimum, yet which, were
| the roads intersecting them of the first class
would at once rise in value were they twice as
far from steam transportation. Good roads are
a national benefit All business originates in
natural product which must find its way over
o common highway before it can reach a mar
ket and attain its full value. Smooth, hard
roads, we'll drained, and easily traversable
| through large part of the year furnish this
outlet, and alone can furnish it. To neglect
the highways is worse than to neglect fences
and woodpies and weeds.
Recognizing the immense importance of
this subject, THE SENTINEL proposes to de-
vote a good deal of attention to it during
the coming twelve months. We shall
publish detailed descriptions of the man.
ner in which roads are built and main
! tanned in France and other European
| countries, and in some of the eastern
states, and will show what other states
have done recently in the way of improv-
ing their road laws. Meantime we urge
| agricultural societies, farmers clubs,
boards of trade and business mems asso-
Citations to agitate this question, so that
public sentiment will be aroused, by the
time the next legislature meets, to demand
| the right kind of road laws from that
body. This is a matter in which there is
no politics. We can all get together
democrats, republicans, prohibitionists
and mugwumps-upon a platform de-
handing good roads for Indiana, because
we are all interested. Let the good work
be taken up and pushed vigorously all
over the state.