Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-04-01
Road Agitation In the South.

Road Agitation In the South.
A LETTER ON HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT
FROM HARRY h. HoDesoN, OF NEW Or
LEANS.
That the agitation in favor of the i'm
provemeDt of public roads is not confined
to the north is shown by the letter given
below. fron Harry H. Hodgson, of New
Orleans. Mr.. Hodeson is thoroughly con.
versant with the execrable condition of
country rpads, and knows what the roads of
the time should be. His remarks are there
fore worth reading. He says:
''There is no subject which has attracted
more public attention throughout the
ULited States than that of improved public
highways.
most concerned take so little interest in a
business, increased value of lands, and
rapid transit.
1t should be given the attention of every
class of people, from the banker to the
iaborer, and the driver of coach and four
is not more vitally interested than the
farmer with his lead of hay.
County boards are always willing to con-
tribute toward building railroads, and large
sums of money are annually contributed to
this end, but never once have these same
county boards contributed any large amount
for the construction and maintenance of
good highways. The useless waste of
money by political rings has been one cause
that has perverted the money from its OBJ
ject, and unintelligent methods have been
another and very real trouble.
The roads of the United States are a dis.
grace. In many cases they are mere bog
holes. What little work has been done,
has been waste of money and energy.
No science has been displayed in the
construction of roads; no effort made to
build them on modern and sensible plans.-
The old laws should be repealed ard
present and future necessities met by franz
ing laws to compel the building and main
tenance of good highways and the placing
of sign boards on cross roads, SO that the
farmer may market his products and the
traveller accomplish his journey With the
least expenditure and greatest speed posi-.
Bile.
The present system is no system at ALL
A tree falls across road. It is not cut
out, but all drive around it. The most
primitive methods are resorted to, and
there is no concert of action. Every road
takes care of itself, and if little work is
done it is to meet present and temporary
with no regard for the future.
J The working out of the road tax is
farce which carnot be too strongly con-
demned. Let such work as is done be
completed on basis that will make it
count for something; let ths unsatisfactory
work of the past be at an end; let all future
attempts at road building be such as will
give us system of highways which we can
point to with pride. and our land values
will be enhanced and our national pros
perity increased.
There is no necessity for copcealing the
fact that our roads are in deplorab!e con-
dition. We have few roads to boast of and
few are contemplated. Our methods are
bad, and no action is being taken to get us
put of the mud We are no better off to-
day than we were fifty yea1s ago, and have
nothing to show for the millions
expended during the last half century.
Is this not sad affair to contemplate?
Can the intelligence and patriotism of the
Americans be so dead that none will start
Ibis movement to urge an entire change of
present methods and establish an intelligent
and modern basis on which to commence a
system Of road building that will in time
give US highways that we can point to with
pride ?
Our eyes are now being opened to the
needs Of the Union and we should be
of our slow progress in road build
ng.
Let the farmers in every State make it
heir aim to start system of roads by ad-
ling few miles each year to some i'm
portant road in their vicinity, and let the
work be done honestly and by improved
methods. Let every cent count, use only
good material, and always with view to
10 we'll that work which is done.
Immigration will seek localities where
good roads abound, for those localities de-
note an intelligent and energetic people,
A very wise man has said "The road is
hat physical sign or symbol by which you
may understand any age or people. IL they
have no roads they are savages, for the
road is the creation of man and the type of
civilized society,"" If such is the fact, how
much above the savage is the average
American farmer?
Something must be done. Our country
Is improving in all kinds of industries, our
roads alone are neglected.
Let us blot out tho past, let old times
and it's methods be forgotten, let us in
augurate modern and scientific methods, SO
that we will leave a monument behind
more lasting than granite, so that future
generations may know us as civilized
people.
HARRY 81. HoDGsoN,