Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-14
rrRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT j

sylvanla farmers gave some very valuable
pointers to the State Board of Agriculture,
which has just adjourned here, about the
evils of the present system Of making, re-
pairing and paying for country roads. One
of the best instances was told in the paper
read by Frederick Jacket, of Holidaysburg.
He described two towns, one with popula-
tion of 5000 and the other with $4,000, lit
tie over seven miles apart.
Although Mr.. Jacke's paper did not
name the towns, he told me this morning
that they are Holidaysburg and Altoona.
Formerly q turnpike connected the two
places over which a buggy might pass for
20 cents both ways. Holidaysburg is the
capital OF Blair, and the business people of
Altoona haye to drive there q great deal,
and likewise Holidaysburg residents drive
to Altoona for much OF their shopping or
for pleasure.
WANTED A FREE ROAD.
The business men of both towns conceived
the idea of having free road Tor all this
overland travel, and as an ordinary dirt
road could be made at almost a railroad
grade along the Allegheny Mountains, the
courts were asked to order view. Such a
road was necessary, said the Court; the plan
is entirely feasible, and so an official view
was at once declared. The land necessary
was condemned, and the road was built.
"This road" continued Mr.. jacket,
''pssses through two townships. 1t may
have cost $500 or 81 900 per mile to make
and keep in repair. Who pays for it, the
merchants and citizens of Altoona and Hol-
lidaysburg? No. 1t is true they profit by
it and use it the most. but it is free to them.
The 300 property owners in those two town
ships have to pay all the taxes for its main
tenance. Thus is the farmer compelled to
keep up roads Tor the benefit of two towns"
Mr.. jacket contends this is one of the
class of highways that should be term ed a
State road," and should be entirely
maintained by State money and State
supervision. So also should "county
roads," which lead from one county to
another.
A NEW OFFICER NEEDED.
Here he would have county roadmaster
employed by the State Road Department,
merely to superintend the disposition of the
State appropriation, and he to appoint
supervisors to superintend the work in each
township,such supervisors to be paid by the
day for only such duty as they actually
perform. For trivial township
lanes Mr.. Jacket suggests that school
small additional tax and expend it on
those lanes. ...-. .
The gentleman concludes that there are
too many of such lanes which stand upon
court records as public highways, and thus
have to be kept up by public taxes, He
believes the first work OF the proposed State
improvement should be to appoint board
or engineers to survey the road system of
the entire State, make good maps and then
decide on the vacation or all unnecessary
lanes and roads. 1t would make the re-
naming ones all the better. As his crown
Jug argument for financial aid from the
State Treasury, Mr.. jacket declares that
four-fifths of the taxable persons in Penn
sylvania never pay taxes for roads.
Some further abstracts from the remark
ably able paper of S. r. Downing, of
Chester county, on Estate Aid for Public
Roads," are as follows:
SCHOOLS AND ROADS.
Section first article tenth of the Constitution
of 1873, reads: THE General Assembly shall
provide for the maintenance and support of a
system of public schools, and shall
appropriate at least 900 900 each year tor that
purpose" Since the adoption of the new Con-
stitution in 1873, the appropriation for schools
has increased to the sum of 81, 100000
And yet in the years 1884 and 1885 when the
question of accepting the common school
system was submitted to the delegates repre-
senting the school districts OF intelligent Ches-
ter county. considerable majority in both
years voted not to accept When the office of
County Superintendent was established 1t also
opposition virtually based upon
the same argument used to-day against COM
petent county supervision of roads. one class
said it would multiply public offices, another
class deemed the office useless and
the money paid to the officer
it to the school fund. So that between the
years 1884 and 1890 vast revolution has oc-
Cured in the public mind as to schools State
have passed from thousands to
millions, the offices of State and county super
lntendent being created and county institutes
by bounties, all primarily in the
teeth Of popular dissent and by the gradual
yielding of popular opinion. Should we can
vass the matter, believe we will readily con-
clude that if a State can appropriate money
for schools it can with the same ease and upon
the same basis of right and demand appropri-
ate money for roads.
Land is condemned by authority of the State
for roads, as for school sites. But there is an
inequality between the two. The State takes
our land for roads, but unjustly goes no
further. The State, on behalf of schools. grants
q seizure of lands, but considerably goes
farther than in the case of roads. First by
giving the schools authority to borrow capital
Second. by instItuting and paying for State
and county supervision. Third. by assisting
of money. The people are salts
led with all school legislation, but road legisla-
ton seems to be imperative, Intellectual, un-
EQ UAL JUSTICE FOR ALL.
Should shoal gather across the bed of the
Delaware river, checking trade between Boston
Or Baltimore and Philadelphia. the merchants
Of Philadelphia are relieved by the Govern
nent from paying toward lifting the shoal
Dur General Government also appropriates. as
to trade. 500. .0O0, 900 in steam
ship subsidies. Now trade is not confined to
ships or rivers. or again the passage of armies
Is not limited to seas. Trade is not confined to
railroads, and yet railroads being factors in
trade. the general government, as a principal
Of national economy, has lent Iavishly of its
credit and given as lavishly of its lands for rhe
building of lines over the great deserts and
ranges of our country for the sake of
trade. The heaviest trade of Pennsylvania is
the wagon or c0nimon road trade. II this be
true. why should 1t not be as fully q matter of
public policy for State to encourage local
ship village by partial building and support
Of roads as 1t is public policy for the General
Government to subsidize ships and railroads. to
hold rivers clear and even to appropriate
money in the name of creeks that are never
touched all for the sake of general trade.
And yet the real estate owner of Pennsyl-
eanIa. Notwithstanding his over-burthen of
taxation equaling ten to one, comparatively,
with that of the personal property owner, or
eight to one with that of corporations the real
estate owner, with all this over-burthen
amounting almost to car ying out of the single
lax theory. does not crave of the State any
special bounty to his class in asking aid in the
structure and maintenance of roads. He asks
for that which will add to the prosperity
,f all classes and facilitate all honor
lble industry and enterprise. Not
,nly this. but the granting of State aid for
.oads is asked upon the score of an adjustment
,f rights. and charges real, personal and cor
,orate wealth on account of the common rights
md privileges each may hold in the common