The record-union., 1893-02-06
A WORD TO TWO COMMITTEES.


The Committees on Roads and High
ways in the two houses are, we are quite
certain, taking a wrong step in APPROX
ing bills-as it is said they have done in
one case and are to do in another-to re-
peal the road law amendments made at
the last session.
That law went into effect, as amended,
on the 1st of January of this year. 1t has
had, as yet, no trial therefore. The re-
peal will return us to the old system of
patchwork, which is now condemned in
every State in the Union by farmers and
townsmen alike, though in not all the
States have they been able to reform the
system as yet
If there is any one thing that more than
another is admitted by all who have given
it examination to be wasteful and un-
economic for the producers on lands it is
the g-out-the-road-tax" system.
We understand that the chief objection
to the law as it stands comes from the
Supervisors of several counties, and it is
that the law requires the road work
which is to be done under contract to be
advertised in call for bids, so extend
edly that good deal of money will be
absorbed unnecessarily.
We beg to suggest to the committees
that conceding this to be true they can
very easily adjust matters to avoid that
chief objection. 1t can be done by
simply amending the law so that the
notice for bids shall not set forth all the
details, the district or road boundaries
and the specifications. Let the notice
read simply that bids for Improvement
OF, or maintenance and repair of roads in
District No. -, are desired, and that full
details, plans, etc., specifications and re-
quirements are on file with such and
such an officer for examination.
That will reduce the whole advertising
to the trifle of about 81 for the four weeks
required.
We beg the committees to consider we'll
their action, and to recall their COM
mendation of the bills sent in to repeal
and amend the law that went into force
January 1st. The substitutes they pro-
pose fly in the face of all experience of
road-builders, and are condemned in
New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts,
Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Ken
lucky by express Acts, pronouncing the
system failure.
The National Government, every State
in the Union, all the engineering schools,
the farmers societies, Oranges and Alli-
ances east of the Rockies are deeply agi-
tated by the good-road movement. Gov
ernors Flower and Albeit have deemed
the subject so important as to be worthy
special messages.
Just now, when everywhere else the
drift is forward, to have our State step
deliberately backward is most humiliat-
ing and almost disastrous.
If the committees, whom we believe
desire to do right, will pause and call for
''the other side' of this question, we are
convinced that there will be response,
and that they will modify the Judgment
they are said to have reached.
Indeed, we have it direct that the Sena-
tor who introduced the repeating bill says
he knows nothing of its merits; that is,
he has not given it study but put the bill
in because the Supervisors of his county
desired it. This is a matter of very great
importance, and we trust, that as it affects
so vitality agricultural interests, it will
have new consideration. 1t can be shown
beyond the shadow of doubt, that the
repeal, instead of benefting farmers, and
lessening taxation for road purposes, alb
solutely increases burdens, and gives less
results for the money expended than will
the new law.