New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-27
@ BETTER ROADS.
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE STATE ROADS
IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION
SECURING INFORMATION HRoUG THE STATE
DEPARTMENT-SENAToR RICHARD-
SON EXPLAINS HIS BILL.

notIdtlDu was neIu l. thlS CITY Ol lucshdS AZ nv
Hall Of the Young Mems Christian Association Buhd'
ing. The officers present were ". A. sweet, presi'
dent; |. Il. litter, secretary Charles w. Wood, treas
urer. Among the more prominent members present
were \. b. Gardner, Utica J. Y. McCnntock. OF tho
Rochester Chamber OF A. W. mayer
Co0pcrstown; state senator W. p. Richardson. Orange
County ID. ID. Winston. Utica %. ID. Blanchard.
Fayetteville; Wallace Tappan, Baldwinsvillc; Garrett
wyckof. Richfeld springs; Walter Whittlesey, Lyons
Falls; A. II. Ellis, Wcllsborough Point DR.. G.. a.
Blumer, Utica: W.. :. BacOt, stapleton, Engineer Oh
Country Rods John O'Donnell, Jamaica; f. \. Powell,
the Rev. +. W. Belts. G. A. Hammond, Homer ID. l..
sweet, ard many others from this city and county.
In his opening address, President sweet said in part:
II seems to me that the interest Of this association
aud te interest in the cause for which we nave met
IS largely to be promoted by using al tns mnowieage
and prestige which we have In forwarding III the
Legislature what is known "a the Richardson bill;
II we could orce get this through the Legislature; and
get the work going, then we shall have achleved tne
first step in the great reformation. After that Is
once going. and the roads being constructed In the
different counties Of the state that the travelling
public may zee the great difference between a good
road and a poor one. then it will become an object
lesson 10 those that drive over 1t. and who will see
and feel that their interests are being benefited by it.
and therefore there will be a hearty cooperation in
paying for 1t.
The s~ecretary's annual report contained the follow.
ing paragraphs:
The first year of the formal existence Of our as5o,
citation has been marked by results which have brought
honor and announcement to the pioneer WORKER, Tor
Improved roads, not only In our own state, but through
ont the entire country. II has been to rs a source
Of qualification to know that tho growing approval
Of our own work has been supplemented by the lorna.
lion Of roadslmprovement associations. In many OF
the other states, OF which Pennsy lvania, Massachr-
sets, Rhode Island. Illinois. Tennessee and Georgia
may he prominently mentioned. Indeed, the move
ment has become 50 general among the most enter
tract the attention Of the General Government, and
especially Of those officers whose duty has reference
to the internal good If the Republic.
With n view Of securing means 10 widen the scope
OF reliable Information touching the economic value
hSl-class roads have been for many years ma,ntalhgt
Throughout the farming. sections, your 'ccrctarH. IN
November last. addressed a letter to secretary Blaine
at Washington. requesting him to aid IL. by directing
the Consuls and Ministers representing this country in
foreign lands TO include In their official report, a state
ment Of the practical results brought about hy the use
Of improved roads and their value to the farmer. rs
compared with the common dirt roads of our own
10 state that. from letters received from variou, con
snlar sources within The last month. much valuable
information Us been compiled under the direction. OF
the Department Of state, AMI that this information
will shortly be published for distribution among Amer
In our own state. gradual but substantial growth
OF sentiment in favor OF better roads has continued
trodueed in lie Legislature II 1870. senate bill
No. 80, known a, the Richardson Dill. WaS uhahL
YEAR. and received Smbstanfiai support in the State
senate. This bill obtained an actual majority. en-
part Of some Of the clerks, the vote was net 80 de
correspondence has been carried on with the varlou;
county officers. and especially with the supervisors OF
the different counties. FOR tho purpose of gaining, a
het,er knowleq 20 OF the local condition, peculiar to the
separate sections Of the state. 1t may be interst
Ing to here noe that after careful INVESTIGATION II Is
found that upward Of o? per cent OF the general Tag
taxes (Which wOnld be levied for the construction OF
improved roads under the Richardson blu would DO
paid entirely BY the incorporated Villages ana cl,ics;
leaving only : per cent 70 be paid by the flTInln7
community. whom this improvement would largely
benefit.
need for the Improvement OF its OmmOn roads, but u
is. beyond all other states. in the best possible cohdl
VALUATION of real and personal property a.giesaGns
nearly $4,000. OOO. 900. and a population averaging
over one hundred persons per square mile WIN ma.
cellently adapted Ia the con struciion Of good roads:
each a population Of more than 10000 people. and up
ward Of 10 Incorporated villages, it must be appar-
cnt that the volume Of travel and traffic is so great as
to require that these roads be cared ior Win an III.
,elllgent regard for public use. The ordinary .conntry
road. while in a general sense the properly OF an Io
people. is In a moro direct sense the farmers mn.
wav. over which he walks and rides whenever he GOES
abroad from his own %dooryari. IL j. to MN me
Therefore pertinent 10 consider the question of i'm
proved roads in IT, ",pecial berrinS upon the pfIp' ibS
farmer, chief means Of communication with the great
channels of trade. AID the question o. improved rotd'
comes home - the farmer as on" which demands M
attention from the standpoint OF personal as wen ~,
year round in>ures tho uniformity Of supply, enIhr-e,
the farming territory. which contributes TO the nome
markets and Increases the business Of town ana
country. The enhanced value ~ rural property Hhdcr
thc influence Of better roads tends t. equaliZe asses
mcnts and - tighten the proportionate share Of the
81 his state hey would cost scarcely anything. II
balance were struck between the expense and the In
come. the cost wCIld be less than nothing.
The treasurer stated that. preparatory = the report
of the finance, Of the association. he would not bring
into n, report Items Of expenditures made personally
by the president. secretary and treasurer. a no account
had been kept Of such disbursements, which were vol
unfairly contributed by the gentlemen named, more
particularly the president. who had taken upon himself
...- -f--. ,-fAn I.m1, g Fam
MERGE. Boards If supervisors. Granger associations and
knights OF Labor organizations throughout the state.
senator ". p. Richardson, OF Orange County, made an
address on the need of road improvement, and partic-
ularly on the features Of his bill, In the course OF which
he said:
No man who has common sense, can feel any in
tcrcst IN any subject or work that he UNDERTAKES, Wien !
heavy rain that comes. By our system IN Orange
County the road tax Is worked out by tine. inc
more discouraged and more depressed, with le,N en-,
thu,ia,m. as they come out and work on me roads ana
find that the work Is und0nc by the iINt heavy, ram.
Another thing: 90 ont and warn the farmers In my
ind that one man has a sick cow; per
haps. lie can't come that day or, he has made arrange
mcnts TO Visit a ~ncighbor. and will come next week.
~ "A result, | put my team ON the road al>o my NM,
h ~ thc MATERIAL Al If Necessary. hog backing" as / 20
along, a.d seeing when "A load Is dumped herr that thIs
the road strikes. \, "A result. it settles down pretty
near IA level. | 20 through win the work Oh hnst
/ have left off. goes out about . O'Clock In the morn
quits at 3 O'Clock in the afternoon, ana wants 10
,how ks much a. he can ont Of The time he ma, put III
there. The first rain that comes settles Itself down
between. and a. n natural result. Whenever y0n drive
where the new dirt has been put, You ma a hollow
sratte,cd ali along the road where your neighbor mas
been at work. | think every man VIII agree Win me
that this is an abominablc practice; that the present
svstcm. a, worked. is simply useless. But IT, should
90 into a meeting at home and say: Il don't believe
that you ought 10 work your time on tne rV'9Sii,
think you had better have u direct tax here; ! ," nm
ills town had better build good roads | 40 10y
believe would have two men with me nhcy MN VIM
" cannot afford TO do it, Now, hhoWhb
NAT TO be- the case. and knowing that there Is a i"m
At tho present timc giving an option 70 any GOV. ~
rnancc from wording ont time 10 "A direct taN' anu nau
few towns since that law has been on the BOOKS nay
taken the option. / believe there Is ohly one a. .,u NJ
meet the diihCuity. have given the suoJC' iaaS
consideration and study for the last ten years. at EasI
and | fall 10 find any system or plan that VIII give soW.
.nadi tn tho tanners OF The stale Of New-l ork, except
NAT in mis- bill do not believe that uiere i
Iarmcr In the state, ii ho Knew what u ~ - ' oa