The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-04-05
The Permanent Roads Appro-
Driarion.



Fr,su the Philadesphia Inquire-
The exact size Of the appropriation to
Be made by toe state legislature for build
ing permanent roads IS matter Of les
iuporianoe, perhaps. than that begin
ming should be made in this direction.
The chairman Of the hOase appropria-
ton committee objects to the six million
amendment b the Nesbii road bill on
the gFonnd that With other appsopFia-
tions u win take AT bat a million and =
halfio the eighteen millions and half
Of anticipated revenue II the antieipa-
ton i verified the revenue will have in
creased about seven million dollars over
that to last year, and il IS to be borne in
mind that for several years there has
been q surplus in the treasury at the end
Of the fiscal year Of between six and sew
en- million dollars It is evident that If
the state legislature does not make be-
ginning at building permanent roads it
will not be because the stateeannot afford
IL
II is true thai expenses have increased,
but necessary expenses and wise outlays
of which the state is sure to reap the
benefit have not increased in the sane
proportion as the revenues. The public
schools last year were given something
over I'VE millions This year it Is pro-
posed to double the amount With the
expenses Of the Homestead riot the Ma
tional Guard cost about five hundred and
eighty thousand dollars last year. Even
this years special appropriation Of one
hundred and sixty-three thousand dol
lars for new outfit will not bring the
cost up to last years figures unless We
should have another riot, which, in view
Of the wholesome lesson taught in ls9s,
il not likely. The demand from ehaIi-
ties and educational Institutions Is GER
tainly increasing, il is true, bot the legis-
lature needs 70 note some local PECULIAR
ties in determining how much TO give to
these objects. Il is to be remembered
that the people Of Pennsylvania have
long been trained TO give to charities.
while they have hardly been trained az
all TO give to educational institutions
The wills Of rich men and women show
that they leave hundreds Of thousands Of
dollars to charitable objects nearly every
week, while beguests TO educational in
stitufions are very rare indeed The leg
islature should endeaver to make things
even by dealing more literally where
the people give only rarely and by draw
ing the purse strings where the people
give layish!y. In addition the state Is
asked TO found hospitals, which ought %
be founded by local enterprise, by local
capitalists and employers
Ifa close watch Is kept on such exPen-
ditures there is going 70 5estili leif large
sum which should be at least in part ex-
pended, not in the relief Of special and
local wants, bat for the general good Of
all, by beginning the construction OfPer-
manert highways. If six millions can
IOL g . 1-aAN u A--@aAl WAAAA
three or four. What is the use Of spend
ing ten millions on the schools when the
roads are 50 bad that children cannot get
10 schooi2 The Pike county schools
have been closed nearly ali winter. L
would be better for the children to pay
for their school books and have good
roads than to have theschOol books given
them BY the state and then not be able
to make the best use Of the books on se-
count Of impossible roads. But il IS not
a question between free school books and
good roads. The states revenues are in
There Is an annual sarplus
problem to be faced. The state debt Is
vanishing out ofsight. This IS the first
Of the union. and now is
the time for it 70 do what il ought 70 do
lead the way in b1ilding permanent
roads, which viii further increase the
wealth Of neighbOrhOOds and, eonse-
Quently, the state revenues