Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-06-26
HIGHWAYS AND The STATE.
osod Roads Have a Favorable Eject ON
the Conditions of the People.

the Conditions of the People.
In a paper read before the Buffalo
Economic association, DIR. Charles 5.
Butler said:
Ofall the questions affecting the welfare
of our people there is none of greater i'm
portance than a thorough system of scien-
fifcally constructed highways over
which they may pass to and fro in their
commercial and social relations With one
another. Hitherto it has received but
little attention. True there have been
periods of awakening to the Importance
of the subject, and in 1869 interest SUM-
Client was aroused in New England to
begin a system of improved highway
construction.
But on the whole little or no progress
has been made. and we are today CON
structing and maintaining our roads I'M
der the system introduced into this coun-
try from England in the early days OF
the republic, consisting of elective town
shin and district road officers and Labor
tay-a remnant of the times of feudal
yassalage, when one of the tenures by
which land was held was the obligation
to make the road passable for the troops
of the lord of the manor.
To the farmer the market means the
nearest railway station, and when we
reflect that in the state of New York
there are only 1900 miles of railway,
against 100, 600 or more miles OF road
way. we shall see what a limited NUM-
her. after all. are reached by the former
and the vast multitude that are of neces-
sity required to use the latter.
DO these facts indicate that railways
have superseded the necessity for good
roads?
Between 1860 and 1913 England en-
acted no less than 4j2 laws for the i'm
movement of her highways. But out OF
This great mass of legislation came little
relief. and it was not until an act was
finally passed, in 1915, placing the con
struction and repair of the roads under
control Of the state, that anything like
benefcent and permanent results fol-
lowed, and which, before the close of the
century, enabled England to so perfect
her highways that commerce was no
longer repressed by difficulty of trans
port, and a vast expansion of traffic was
the immediate result.
England is today crossed and recrossed
by $4,000 or more miles of Macadam
roadway, and it is easy of demonstration
that nothing except perhaps the repeal
of her corn laws-has added SO much to
the intellectual and material prosperity
of her citizens during the past eentury as
her enlightened policy of highway con-
struction and repair.
Never in the history of the United
States were internal commerce and com
munication so efectually blocked, ex-
cent bv railways, as during the past win
ter. Much of the time from November
until May the roads were in an impassa-
BILE condition. Grain and produce IN the
hands of the farmers in April should
have been marketed long before. The
country merchant, requiring to replemsh
his stock in order to maintain his trade,
was compelled to pay two or three profits
to get the goods from the railway station
to his store, because Of the impossible
condition of the highways.
With good roads all this would be
changed and one of the strongest influ-
ences in the fluctuations of the market
eliminated. Prices would not be de
pressed on account Of "a necessity fol
reaching the market mt particular
time. nor advanced because of the ina.
bility of the farmer to transport ms
products over the public highways, bat
faf..4t-afl T. fff
supply would be regulated by the de
mand.
In looking through the assessors re
port from 1877 to 1888 one is startled by
the steadily decreasing value of farm
property within New York state, while
the report for 1889 says: "There contin
mes to be a marked depreciation in thu
value of farm land in nearly every coun
ty and the depression among the farmer
continues, with the prospect for i'll
provement not good. Many assert tina
after paying expenses they cannot realiz'
from their farms sufficient to pay the in
terest on mortgages, and consequently
thousands of farmers are falling into thu
hands of the mortgages annually"
Is IL pOSSlDle ludb blc CitiNShS VI et'
state can longer look upon this condition
of the farmers with complacency?
Is there no remedy for this steadily de
creasing value of the farm lands of tn
state?
l am credibly informed that the gar
den counties about Philadelphia hav'
suffered like depression i'll the value 0
agricultural property. except where val
ues have been held mp by local Improve
ment: the local improvement nee +
ferred to being the recently 80 4 --ssse'
turnpike along whiel lan1s Ea,a na
only maintained their v..lue h., h-.v
actually enhanced.
Governor De Witt Clinton, crs Of tn
most progressive aud far seeing Of al
our statesmen-the protector of the Fri
canal, and for which he was actually pm
on trial for impeachment-said, Ever
judicious improvement in the establish
ment of roads and bridges increases tn
value of land, enhances the price q
commodities and augments the publ
wealth" while committee of the hous