Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-19
IMPORTANCE OF GOOD ROADS.
Interesting Papers Read Before tn
Congress at Chicago.

Interesting Papers Read Before the
Congress at Chicago.
In the congress on good roads at Chicago
recently Col. A. Pope Of Boston presented a
paper which was attentiveiy listened to.
Among other things. he said: aside from
questions of material gain. which Is per-
haps the lowest standpoint, to consider the
good that comes from easy means of COM
munion there Is to be borne In mind that
good roads are the great highways for the
advancement Of social life. education and
Christianity. The visits Of friends, the at
tendance Of children at school and the
gathering together at church are all govern
ed to a greater or less extent by the condf-
ton Of the roads; and the abandonment of
farms and the crowding OF people In the
cities Is due largely to the isola ton caused
by bad means Of Communication to and
from the farm. But the problem to be solv
ed is to provide money to build good roads.
Many farmers are opposed to the good
road movement because they believe II
means to them Increased taxation, and in
some sections of the country agricultural
interests are so depressed that they don't
feel able to bear financial burdens. 1t has
been estimated that the state Of Illinois
loses every year 5000 900 because of bad
foads.
NOW, am going to urge a plan which
believe TO be the least burdensome and the
most enectual and equitab BILE for providing
good roads. Let each state establish
graduate succession tax. that is. q tax on
property passing by succession, by in
heritance. or by legacy. Such a tax might
De arranged as follows: On all estates
valued at $4,000 up to 100000. / per cent.
On estates of over 100000 up to $500, 900, /
per cent on the first 500 900 and per cent
on the remainder, and so on gradually in
creasing the amount as the inheritance In
creased The succession tax will not fall
on the poor. Those whose estates amount
to 10000 can well afford to give 500 to the
state In return for all the protection Of Its
laws which has enabled wealth to he az
cumulated and enjoyed
GOOD roads when rightly constructed can
De maintained at comparatively small cost
ana as the wealth OF the states increases
ue succession tax would furnish sufficient
revenue TO meet all expenses of the state
road" Va >'e
An attempt was made after the reading
OF MI. ropes paper to pass a resolution
lavoring the succession tax for the con-
struction and maintenance of good roads
put after long discussion the matter was
laid over.
One Of the speakers proposed that a part
OF the license received from saloons he
used in improving roads. The suggestion
was loudly applauded
OF equal interest was a paper nv Prof
Lewis NJ. Haupt Of Philadelphia on road
engineering and construction He gave a
statement OF the total tonnage of the rail-
irg to 7N e.OOO tons carried an average
distance OF lis miles, and giving a ton mile
age of 81 154, 900. This movement cost the
shippers $755. 254, 49,
invested in railroads the fncomDrehensible
sum OF 0.3S9, Gi.22S, an average Of S6l S7o
per mile, and 1t has paid fair revenue The
speaker then showed the enormous econ
resulting ood
locomotion as instanced by the waterways,
and cited the case Of the improvements on
the great lakes where a total expenditure
OF 100000 had saved In the cost OF trans
portation by water. as compared with rail.
nearly Sl5O.Ooo,00 in one year.
In closing his paper he said that while
the rapid progress made by the United
states since 1880 was due largely to the in
strumentality of her railroads the great
ness of Britain was attributable mainly to
her foreign commerce in which she utilized
the cheapest known methods Of transpor-
tation. while the thrift frugahty, and won
derful recuperatfve powers Of both France
ana Germany were due chiefly to their
good roads and numerous internal water
ing home industries.
with intelligent. liberal and patriotic
legislation; with our unlimited resouces
with over 49, 900 miles Of RAILWAYS Is ono
miles Of coast line and $4,000 miles OF navi-
gable rivers in the Mississippi basin alone
with unrivaled physical possibilities for
intracoastal canal. there Is no reason why
our glorious country should not rise to the
zenith Of her greatness by combining ali
the elements which have conspired to en-
rich and ennoble the older nations of the
eastern hemisphere.
our people, as a whole need to be Inn
pressed with the Importance Of securing
cheaper transportation, and be made to
realize that our common roads are a most
serious obstruction to our otherwise phe-
nomenal growth.
When that is accomplished, and from
present indications the leaven IL working
rapidly, the road problem will be satisfac.
torily solved"