Mexico weekly ledger., 1892-07-07
IN BEHALF OF GOOD ROADS.
Short Synopsis of a Most Excellent
Address Delivered by John L..
Erwin Mt Mexico on July 4.

name has gone into history with
| Jefferson and Madison and Clay,
was that great advocate Of national
highways. Thos. III. Benton. Ben
toms idea was for a great national
highway from the Atlantic to the
Pacific, from the lakes to the gull,
the idea then being that the rivers
and lakes and canals must be the
great transportation ways. The rail-
roads have taken the place of these
long wagon roads, but really the
necessity exists for the improved
shorter roads to the railroads,
| school houses, churches and marts
of trade. During the past half CEN
fury the thought, energy and capt.
tai of the country nave been devoted
to the building of railroads. 1t is
only recently hat even cities have
undertaken to systematicallyim improve
| their streets. 1t is true that in iso-
lated localities Il few good roads
have been built. An effort is now
being made to get accurate statistics
| of what has been done in Missouri
in the way of building better roads.
So far it has only been done in other
| states where the national government
more than half a century ago initial
ed the building of permanent roads.
Kentucky, Virginia, Ohio, Pennsyl-
vania and Maryland have probably
more miles of permanent roads than
any other states. The cities and
towns of Missouri that do not have
rock or gravel streets might set a
most excellent example to the farm
er community by using the grader
and smoothing down their streets
and filling up the holes. A weeks
work the first of June this year or
| even now would make them good
the balance of the year, whereas the
ruts and holes fill up with water
every time it rains, making almost
bottomless holes. Go to work at
once. Don't wait till next week.
If | had my way | would start a
grader in every town tomorrow
morning and by Saturday night
| would make such a transformation
of the place that it would not recog-
nize its former self. If you cannot
have gravel or rock streets at least
have the dirt road as good as you
can by a very little outlay at the
proper time.
l shall not attempt to argue the
method of construction, but will de-
vote myself rather to the considera-
ton of means. A slang phrase has
it "those who dance should pay the
fiddler. Those who reap the ben
efits should pay for them. Good
roads are a permanent improvement
whose benefits follow for many gen.
erations to come. Road construction
should be distributed over a long
period of time. 1t takes money to
build good roads and the idea that
we must pay for them as we build
them is not equitable and the burden
would be greater than we could bear.
The only method by which this bur-
den can be equitably distributed is
a bonded Indebtedness havinga long
series of years to run so that the
natural accretion of wealth would
meet the burden of payment without
materially increasing the taxes.
The nation, the state and the com.
munity or rather individual forming,
as it were, a triune in the receipt Of
benefits should each bear a share Of
the burden. Good roads are public
property belonging to the whole
community or nation to be enjoyed
without let or hindrance by every
citizen of this Republic. Perhaps
the best illustration of the benef-
icence of the general government
in its direct dealing with the people
in the post-office. That good roads
would enable the post-office depart.
ment to double its mileage of distri.
button among the great mass of PEG.
pie without increasing the expense
| have not the least doubt. Imagine
II we were without the post-office
and were dependent on the telegraph
and express companies Tor the dis
tribution of our mail. Judged by
their charges on everything else in
proportion to the service rendered il
would cost more than twice as much
as it now does or more than enough to
pay the interest on billions of dollars
if invested in roads. All the people
being benefited the general govern
ment ought to pay a part. What
part ought it to pay? The interest.
Why? Because it being, more wide
ly known and representing more
wealth it can secure a lower rate OF
interest. The State being the largest
division of a representative COM
munity and dealing more directly
with the people ought to pay the
principal.
The individual property by rea-
son of location that would receive
the greatest benefit ought to bear a
greater share than those not sofayor-
ably located. Putting the idea to-
gether / would make a national law
to be accepted by the st.ltes desiring
tba hanoffc for bond canrfrs,cf;or