Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-11-28
HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENTS.

Colonel Albert A. Pope, of Boston,
in an address before the Carriage Build
er's National Association at Syracuse,
N. Y. on Highway improvements,
makes some good suggestions as to sup
ervision OF the public roads. He says
one of the incentives to the eminence of
the Roman Empire was due to its ex-
cellent system of roadways, some being
in remarkable preservation to this day.
He then drops down to American roads
and claims they as a class are the
worst in the world, adding "those of us
who have had occasion to form init
mate acquaintance with American
country roads in spring, have more
than once found ourselves in position
to heartily wish that some of the rural
road makers, who work out their taxes
by blowing up the mud from the bitches
and plastering it over the middle of the
highways, had had some good exper-
fence in the road gangs under the Gen.
turians of Julius Caesars army" Mr..
Pope suggests system of highways
under government supervision, that
would produce most direct, substan-
italy built, and properly cared for
roads. He says:
A commissioner of highways might
be provided for, in the Agricultural
Department, with corps of consulting
engineers, and suitable appropriations
made, for the prosecution of q general
supervising work.
Under the charge of this commission,
full systems of maps should be pre-
pared, based largely perhaps upon the
working of the state and county boards,
showing more OF less completely, as
circumstances would permit, the high
ways of the country
For corporation with this central
bureau and the prosecution OF the work
in the most thorough and practical way,
each state should have its highway
comm ssioner, charged with the highest
interests of the State in the way of main
tanning its system of roads under the
most approved methods and for the
general public welfare. Then the best
practical results could probably be at
tanned, by the division of the State into
highway districts, consisting of counties,
or perhaps townships, each of which
should have its overseer in full charge
of the opening and construction of new
roads in his district and the proper
maintenance of all, responsible for the
expenditure of the regular appropria-
tons for these purposes. Thee dis
tricts could then be divided into smaller
ones under sub-overseers.
The Importance and value of any
country, any section, and every citizen
from the highest to the lowest, whether
taxpayers or tramps, of well con-
strueted and properly maintained roads,
is not easily estimated, but clearly it is
greater than that of many affairs which
are continually receiving the time and
attention of the people in their homes,
counting rooms, public meetings and
legislative halls.
It's a matter to be considered side by
side with our splendid and always inn
proving system of public education,
the assessment of our tariff duties, or
the appropriations regularly made for
river and harbor improvements.
1t must be clear to any man with the
most ordinary business instincts that
good roads mean thrift, liberality, and
wealth. They mean good farms and
good value to real estate. They mean
that the farmer enjoying their use will
save time going over them, will save
wear and tear, not only on his wagons,
but on his teams, will be richer man
on account of them.
A moderate amount of money judi
ciouslyA expended in educating the
people up TO their needs and best in
terests, in showing them how their
roads are, and how they ought to be,
and how to go to work to make them
so, could not be put out at bet ter in.
terest.