The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-18
County Roads.

extracted from an editorial in
the Baltimore Sun Of Friday
last, is both interesting and
time y, appearing as it does on
the eve of the assembling of
many of the State Legislatures,
whose attention should be press
ingly called to the importance
Of devising some practicable
system for the Improvement Of
"highways for the great volume
of internal traffic, - that have
much too long been neglected
in Virginia. The information
contained In this article is in
struetive and may prove sug-
gestive to our legislators. Says
the Sun:
Mr.. Isaac B. Potter, Of New
York, has an articleNin the last
number of the Forum on "The
Profit of Good Country Roads" )"
He considers the cost to the far
mer of carting his produce over
country reads, "dissolving in
the rains of April, baking and
pulverizing beneath the ray S of
the midsummer sun, drifting
and disappearing in the whirl-
winds Of November. and pres.
enting at all times but little
more than a roughened streak
of soil to serve as a highwayfor
the great volume of internal
trafiiee," as no small tlctor in
the existing agricultural de-
preston. He draws a striking
picture Of the suburban roads,
maintained largely by private
subscription, and presenting
comely homes and kindred evil
dences of comfort. "a distance
of q few miles more will lead
you to a more scattered popula.
tion, living in homely and more
secluded structures, and, in
spite Of their evident sobriety
and industry, surrounded by
cer'ain signs of unrequited toll,
while the further progress of
your journey will introduce you
in due time and with tolerable
certainty to a region Of rougher
homesteads and abandoned
farms" He cites certain parts
Of New Jersey, and notably
Essex and Union counties,
where the increase in land
values and the prosperous and
cOntented condition of the peo.
pie have confessdly resulted as
the outcome Of a new system of
macadamized roads, the large
expense of making them hav-
ing been more than counter
balanced by the great value of
property, while the tax rate has
not increased. "In Orange
county, n. j., in some of the
towns of Massachusetts,, Rhode
Island and Connecticut, and in
one or two isolated cases in
New York, the industrial value
of improved roads has been re-
peatedly verified. This is SO
we'll understood i'm Europe that
England and Wales are spend
ing upward of twenty millions
Of dollars annually in the main.
tenance of their excellent sys-I
tenn Of macadamized roads.
The French government annu-
ally in the maintenance of their
excellent system of macadamiz-
ed roads. The French govern
ment annually spends eighteen
millions of dollars in the care
Of one hundred and thirty
thousand miles of hard, smooth
roads. In Belgium, Baden,
Hessee Darmstadt and other
European States, the main roads
have for years been maintained
at the expense Of the general
government. 1.-The time has
come when the subtle anu too
long uHrecognized effect which
our great network Of dirt roads
exerts OH the social and indus.
trial character Of the people
should be made "a subject OF !
popular concern. Ms Potter
holds that the State should as
sist the counties in the making
aud maintaining of good roads. |
Some Of them are already NOV.
ing in the matter. "F0r twol
successive years o bill has been
pending in the New York Legis.
lature, which provides for the
expenditure of ten millions of |
dollars for tue construction of
improved roads sn important
lines throughout the State. Ill
has twice passed the Senate.
and was lost in the Assembly
by only 4 slender margin" In
Pennsylvania d bill for the same
purpose was introduced in the
Legislature last February, but
has not yet been acted on. In
Massachusetts, Ohio. Rhode
Island and several other States
similar activity has been noted
in the halls of legislation, and
the gradual tendency of the
law-making bodies Is manifest.
ly in the direction Of better and
more practical road Inwa H.