Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-12-15
ROADS FOR FARMERS.
The Congress at indianapolis Attacks TIN
Question with Energy.

Question with Energy.
The second days session OF the In
diana Road Congress at Indianapolis,
was attended by 400 or 5000 delegates.
While the congress is divided as TO
what steps should be taken to secure
better roads it is apparent that the out
come will be at least healthy public
sentiment in favor Of good reads, which
will result eventually In some desirable
LEGISLATION. The farmers who are In
majority in the congress have not had
great deal to say, but whenever they
have spoken they have opposed any
movement which proposes to increase
their taxes or add to their bonded In
debtedness.
At the opening OF the session Rufus
Magee of Logansport offered resolu-
ton that the Worlds Fair be opened on
Sunday. Lhe resolution was laid on
the table by the congress without dis
cussion. The Illinois Highway Improve
ment Association sent letter OF greet
ing to the congress, and stated that for
twenty years it had been trying to re-
form the road laws of Illinois. and now
began to see daylight. The letter stated
that the Governor and majority
of the members of the Legislature were
pledged to road reformation.
The first paper OF the day was by w.
p. Carmichael, OF Wellingford. 1t dealt
with Some Criticisms of the Present
System of Road Making in Indiana.
In the discussion of the paper Mr..
Brown, OF Fayette County, said that
there are in the State about forty thou
sand miles of road. He estimates that
the roads could all be put in good con-
dition at cost of $500 mile. This
would entail an expense of $3.50 an acre
for the land in the State. This cost
could be distributed over ten years and
would cost the owners of the land 20
cents an acre each year. He thought
| that this expense would not be burden
some.
Mr.. Martindale said that the idea
prevailed that Indiana was behind her
sister States in the construction OF
roads. That was mistake. The su-
| pervisor system, he said, was defective
in itself. 1t had not been executed as
it might have been. 1t was established
at time when it was necessary to go
from village to village. The best that
could be done with it was to use 1t in
keeping the next roads passable. He
said that IL the delegates came here
with the intention OF ripping up" the
present law they were on a mistaken
mission. The thing to do was to amend
and better the present laws.
Prof. w. b. Johnson, OF Franklin
College, in an address. said that the
roads of the State were faulty in the
essential particulars of good engineer
ing. Roads, too, he said, were faulty
as to construction of bridges and drain
age, which was the most important
factor. The natural soil, clay, was
strong enough to support any load
placed upon 1t. Along the roads were
deep bitches, but they do not carry
water. Drainage under the road Is al
most wholly unknown. The present
supervision of roads, he averred, was
faulty. Supervisors were generally In
telligent men, but they lacked technical
knowledge of road-building and main
tenancc. 1t was desirable to have a
trained corps OF men to build roads and
keep them in repair.
j, A. Robinson, OF Shelby County, a
Peoples party man, said he had reached
the conclusion that any effort to tamper
with the present road law would result
in the getting OF no law at all. He be-
lieved with many farmers that entirely
too much money was spent inside the
court houses on the road questions. He
said he believed that any report which
looked to the increase Of the bonded in
debtedness of the farmers would receive
black eye in the Legislature. II
seemed to him that there were men
who were always ready to put addition
al burdens on the farmers. The men
who had built this nation were the farm
ers behind the plow. Progress, he said,
declared that the people who supported
this nation had right to demand that
the general government come out here
and assist in making good roads. Mr..
Robinson made long plea for the
farmer.
The congress was furnished state
ment from the State Auditor in the after
noon showing that the total road tax in
Indiana In 1892 was 81, ,269,675. This
sum, it was stated, did not include taxes
raised for free turnpikes or for bridges.
Many OF the delegates expressed the
opinion that this amount OF money, II
wisely spent each year, ought to build q
great many good roads.