Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-27
A BOOM FOR ROADS,
Prominent Pennsylvanians
Moving for Better COun-
try Highways.
THE POWER OF THE PRESS
To Be Invoked to Aid in the Passage
of a Suitable Measure.
PATTIS0N'S OPINION WANTED.
Desire to Satisfy the Governor and the
Eural Residents
THE POWER OF THE PRESS
PATTISON'S OPINION WANTED.
WHY TIE LAST ROAD BILL WAS VETOED


the old naval commission. was in Pittsburg
yesterday on his way to New Castle and
Erie. 1t will be remembered that the COM
mission spent considerable time and money
in preparing a bill providing for the perma-
nent improvement of the State highways
1t was passed by the last Legislature, but
the granger influence was strong enough
with Governor Pattison,to persuade him to
veto the measure. The farmers were afraid
of q snake, and the Governors main objec-
tion was the manner in which the annual
appropriation was to be distributed among
the various counties.
Western Pennsylvania was represented
on the commission by Superintendent
David McCargo of the Allegheny Valley
road, Senator Sloan, who won't be men,
Der of the next Senate, and Mr.. Griffith, of
Mexican county, who died recently. From
the east was Stanley Goodwin, of Bethle-
hem, a prominent official of the Lehigh
Valley road, and o ther influential people.
A. J. Cassatt, of Philadelphia, a great lover
of horse flesh and wide awake to the advan-
tages to be derived from good roads, helped
the commission very much. In fact there
W aS uO IIOuDlc ApCl1GuCcu III SSlblAS buO
people interested.
Drafting a New Road Bill.
Now the chances are that the members of
the old commission at their own expense
this time will draft another bill and pre-
sent it to the Legislature. Mr.. Ettla said
he had talked with several of the members
lately, and he found them as enthusiastic as
h. &c 1a+4 a1e
positive that every man who was on the
commission is willing to contribute his
time and money in second attempt to
carry the Legislature and the Governor
81 expect to be back here in a few days."
said Mr.. Ettla, ''to have talk with Mr.
McCargo L know how he feels about the
improvements, and j have no doubt of his
hearty cooperation. l saw Stanley Good
win at Bethlehem few davs ago. He is
anxious to make another effort. He COM
plimented THE PITTsBURG DISPATCH,
and said if other papers in the State took
as much interest in the road ques-
tion as THE DISPATCH the problem
would be speedily solved There is no rea-
son why the State should not appropriate
annually 81, ,000 600 for permanent improve
ments of the roads. / don't mean to spend |
the money for patch work. We have had |
enough of plowing up bitches and throwing \
the dirt and refuse on the highways What |
we need is some uniform system Of better
ment 1 wouldn't care whether the road
was macadamiZed, or some other plan |
adopted, as long as the Improvement was
substantial and made the roads passable |
during all seasons of the year.
Governor Pattison's Objections.
'Tn the bill we prepared we provided
that the money should be divided among |
the counties according to the enterprise |
displayed. We had no objection to a man |
working out his taxes when he did it at one
time, and not in ajerky manner, as so many
farmers do, working little now, and then
quitting TO return to the job some day later.
We thought the best basis of distribution I
was in proportion to the amount of road tax /,
paid in cash, and Governor Pattison took
exception to this proposition. The memi
bers of the Road Commission are so inter-
ested in this subject that if Governor Patti
son himself or through his friends will in
dictate what kind of a bill he will indorse
we will gladly draft it according to his
ideas, and do our best to push it through
the Legislature.
''It is useless for us to do anything
toward preparing bill until we know who
is appointed on the different committees
and how they feel about road improve
ments Then we will certainly go to work
and prepare a second bill. l intend to
issue a circular letter shortly to the news
papers of the State asking them to saw
how much money they think should be ap-
annually for improve ments, and
how it can be best distributed among the |
] expect to receive the views of |
all Of them in return. The newspapers are
the great educators, and we intend to look
to them to stir up public enthusiasm.
Plenty of Money to Spare.
$50 far as tie money is concerned know
the State can easily spare 81, ,000 600 yearly.
The last Legislature increased the school
from 81 600, 900 to 81, 900, 900
and the coming Legislature will
advance the sum to S. 000,0 600. This is
fact, and have no objection to increasing
the amount of money spent on school work
1t is a good thing, but that is no reason
should be neglected. / have been assured
bv the State Treasurer, the Auditor Gen.
eral. the Secretary of Internal Affairs and
the Tax Commission that with all the in
crease contemplated in appropriations
there will be enough money left to spend
81. 900, 600 annually on the roads, Some
Uniform system of improvement should be |
adopted, and then the work should be car
ried out from year to year until not q bad
road is left in the State.
81, never could understand why the
farmers opposed the last road bill The
bulk of the State's revenue comes from Phil
adelphia and Allegheny counties and the
arger towns. The farmers in the interior |
counties don't raise much of it. We
iidn't ask them to contribute 81, 900, 900 out
light. We were practically giving them
for nothing. and they were afraid
o take it. The money wouldn't help the
,lties and towns, for in them the property
holders pay for street improvements and
heir maintenance. The money was to be
devoted entirely, almost, TO bettering the
condition of the country roads, and yet the
wouldn't have it.
Improving the Value of Farms
Whenever road is improved it increases
be value of every acre of land that it
ouches. l know of many farmers in Penn
vlvania who are unable to haul all their
tuf to the railroads on account of bad
Dads, to say nothing of the wear and tear
n wagons, harness and horses a. j. :
,assatt told me that good roads make bust /
esS and increase the traffic for The rail
Dads. The farmers are enabled to move
heir produce easily, and the exchange
mong the people is rapid.
'The citizens in the northwestern coun-
les we're greatly interested in the bill,
nd were disappointed when it fell j
through. In these counties there is G
o limestone, and in fact few ]
one of any kind, vet Mr. Bell, of Buffalo,