The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-15
sEATTLE. TRURsDAY. EEC. 10.
GOOD ROADS.

road law. Our correspondent Is right;
good roads are the crying necessity of the
time all over the country; everybody Is
in favor of good roads, but good roads can
not be had save at great cost, and our
farmer states are not disposed as a rule to
tax themselves to pay for good roads. II
would be an excellent investment In the
long run for the farmers, but it is not easy
to make the farmer legislatures vote the
necessary taxes, and the result is that our
American country roads are the very worst
in the world of enlightened civilization.
Before the advent Of railroads congress
built a number of post roads, but the con-
struction of these national roads was sus-
pended by the vetoes of Madison, Monroe
and Jackson. What is wanted are not
post roads but excellent wagon roads con-
Meeting the important towns now tapped
by the railroads. The work of road con-
struction and road improvement will have
to be executed by the state and the
counties. New Jersey has an optional
system of road improvement by the
counties, which has, where adopted. in
creased the population of the counties and
raised the assessed value of their real
estate to degree that more than pays the
cost of the roads. The intelligent and
progressive counties are quick to adopt
this optional system and build substantial,
smooth and enduring wagon roads, but
the counties which need these improved
roads the worst are slow to build them.
The city rule of assessment that the
property-owners along the line of road
should be assessed for the first cost of its
improvement and that the county keep it
in repair after, If applied to farm lands,
would be often oppressive, and in noun
tain regions, where land is not very valua-
bic and road making is costly, this city
rule Of assessment is not to be thought Of
It's principle is wrong as applied to stem
roads connecting county seats and large
towns. which can be we'll built only at
quite heavy first cost. Since the whole
public is benefited by the construction of
such roads the whole public should pay.
The state should pay for stem roads which
cross county lines, the county for branch
roads that begin and end in the county
but are not purely local, and the cities,
boroughs and townships for the roads
wholly within their limits. In support of
this view the Philadelphia Press says:
Any other rule for good road construction
either piles up mountain OF debt or impover-
ishes the rural landholders. who will resist 20
the death the advent OF good roads if they must
be paid for out of their diminishing farm earn
ings
The recent Iowa road convention recon-
mended general road plan for the state.
with six roads running east and west
and six north and south, the average
cost being estimated at $500 per
mile. The state could be divided into
three or five districts, with roadmasters
for each, these men TO constitute a state
board, who shall! employ an engineer and
designate general plan; no less than
twenty miles 10 be undertaken at one time.
1t was urged by the convention that work
should begin when it can be shown that
1900 miles of good roads can be built in
five or ten years, so that when completed
no person in Iowa will he found living
more than four miles from perfect mac
adamixed road. # was argued that this
mileage could be constructed without anv
tHNaseaNV va AaAifARAi w having tile state
Issue 100000 of 3 per cent bonds, and
by authorizing cities 10 grant aid to be ex-
pended outside their corporate limits but
In their counties.
The recent Missouri road convention
divided the roads into two classes
Macadam or gravel roads are OF the first
class; such roads should be built upon the
petition of q majority of the abutting
property owners. not less than - per cent.
of the cost to be paid by them. Well
graded and drained dirt roads are of the
second class. and should be built at the ex-
rense of the county. To provide the
money, all dram-shop licenses should be
diverted 20 road fund, besides special
tax not 10 exceed 50 cents on each $io0 1t
is also recommended that the state of Mis-
souri, loan its credit to the counties for
road purposes up 70 l0per cent. OF the as
sessed value, and an amendment 10 the
constitution be made 70 that end
II wall be seen that the Iowa plan and
the Missouri plan both practically shifs
the burden from Tire farmer upon the com.
manity. except IN regsrd 10 frst-class
roads in Missouri, which are to be built
upon the petition Of shutting owners. who
must pay at least one-Qusrter Of the cost.
The lows plan Is the best; the people
cannot afford 10 wait fer the owners of
ahuttinG farms 20 consent 20 become road
reformers. EI-Gov. Beaver, Of Pennsyl-
vanis. would take the first step toward I'M
proved roads by abolishing the right Of the
taxpaver 20 WORK out his tax on the road
and by pat,ing this tax money into the
hands Of one man OF common sense.
Pot Shaler, Of Harvard college, saws
that American roads as rule are too
wide: that road masters are prone 10 take
the ssrsishteSt course from one point "a
another. up hill and down, rather than
choose a level but c.rcuitous route; tina,
the absuriiy narrow tires used in Americs
are hard ca the average road when hesvy
loads are carried. OF The road bed he says