Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-14
, OUR MAIL POUCH.
Mr.. NeIdis's Road scheme CritIeIsed-The
Old Fogies File a Defsuse-AEItatIon

Mr.. NeIdig,s Road scheme CritIeised-The
Old FOEies File n DefeuSe-AEItatIOn
Necessary TO Arouse Public InEersst-
Good Roads of Some Sort Necessity.
To the Editor OF The Dispatch:
Your correspondent, Mr.. Neidig, writing from
Wampum, Pa, seems to think that the adVo-
Gates Of improved country roads, who are
meeting in conventions" and 'passing reso-
lutions," are set Of old fogies, who do moth
ing else but talk about macadamized roads, and
that they are not at all aware Of the merits Of
the iron railway system, etc. But Mr. Neidig is
mistaken about this-for it is the fellows who
stay at home and who do not attend the con-
ventions who are stuck In the mud. and are the
real old fogies.
The object Of these conventions, !" 'resolu-
tions," ETC., is to attract the attention Of the
Legislature to the fact that the people want q
change in our laws which will permit property
to be taxed for the construction Of good roads,
which is now exempt from taxation for any
such purpose. 1t Is encouraging. in this con-
nection, to notice that the large cities and
toWns-and the great railroad corporations are
at present fully wakened up to the importance
Of the question.
At no convention or in any set of resolutions,
that am aware of, has the Legislature been
as ked to establish by law any particular form
OF road. Plans, as matter OF course, will
vary In different parts Of the State, but have
never heard the SUBJECT debated without refer
ence being made by somebody to the advantages
OF an iron road. or wheel way on some such
plan as suggested by Mr.. Neidig. The idea Is
as old as street railways and appeals to any one
possessed of common sense as being . good
one.
Mr.. Neidig differs only from others who have
given this plan attention II providing no place
or roadway for the horses. His system, which
Is exactly described in The DISPATCH. pro-
v1des simply for fat rails about six to eightin-
ches wide, laid on planks with joints to be made
secure, etc. But as he will not have any thing
TO DO with broken stone, and speaks Of no
planks, or other arrangement between the rails
the horses are left to founder
in the mud. But perhaps Mr.. NeiGig
expects to move his wagons with an overhead
wire. using electricity? But even in that case
there Will be some terribly deep ruts alongside
his rails-for wagons will slip OF sometimes in
wet weather and make holes. In the engineers
society, and elsewhere where the iron roadway
has been discussed by the ''oId fogies," it was
maintained that without a wel-drained sub
stratum Of support-in other words. a macadam-
lied foundation the iron way would not prove
successful. One old fOgy reported that even the
fennsyiVanla Rallroad,W with cross ties less than
TWO 1eet apart, has enough broken stone under
the ties to make two good macadamiZed roads
its entire length. Some day the old fogies
who operate that road will find out that all the
expense for this stone is, according to Mr..
Neld1g. entirely unnecessary.
Inc facts are that the people are not bother
ing their heads about the kind Of roads which
may be built provided they are durable and
smooth, and there are various ways Of making
roads, varying in cost etc. Each county will
devise system, subject to the approval, prob
ably, Of State commission, best adapted to its
own wants. No matter how good the roads
may be made, no one dreams that we will ever
see again long distance transportation In
wagons. Their improvement is demanded for
local convenience chiefly, but is nevertheless a
1niyersal demand. In some districts Mr..
likely be adopted but It Is q mistake for him
to assume that the cost Of road building will
De cheapened by their use. The rails will be
an extra cost added to cost Of stone, etc.
At recent convention Philadelphia ap-
peafed on the floor with the request that some
OF her accumulated wealth be taxed for the
dement, OF the roads in the adjoining counties,
or throughout the State for that matter.
And right here, Mr.. Editor, in this PROPOSE
uon, an interesting problem looms up. The
proposed law, apparently meeting with
most favor just now, provides for the raising
Oh county taxes to be expended only
In the corporate limits of the county. AlIe-
gheny, with hundreds Of miles of roads to i'm
joining counties, not for many years at least;
but as the law must be of general application,
what can be done with the generous propose 8
OF the Philadelphia people? PHILADELPHIA City
Is co-extensiVe with the cOunty-and makes
only small district-and yet it is immensely
wealthy. Legislation, even by classification Of
districts, is now under the ban OF the Supreme
Court. How then are the Philadelphia shekels
to benefit the interior counties without sys-
tenn OF State taxation fos roads additional to
that derived from separate county taxes for
county purposes? This is one of the interest
ing points that should be thoroughly discussed.
PITTsBURG, February Il OLD FoGY.