Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-03-03
GOOD ROADS FOR ILLINOIS.

| Governor AItgeld Advocates a System Of
Good Highways for the Entire State.
In recent interview on the question
IF good country roads Governor Altgeld
expressed himself as follows:
81 regard the question of good roads as
one of the most important that now con-
fronts the people of Illinois. The state
should take hold of it with resolution
and upon broad gauge plan. There is
| no adequate reason for the impassability
Of many of our common roads. The
west has built great cities, railroads and
workshops. Illinois has been in the front
rank in all of these improvements. There
is no excuse for her being behind in her
road policy, particularly as her agricul-
ture is the basis of her prosperity. It
seems almost incredible that we have
made SO little progress in the business of
roadmaking. This question should in
terest the farmer more than any one
else, for the reason that he suffers much
actual financial loss from bad roads.
Gas result of impossible roads the
ing his grain when and where it would
bring the best prices. In other words, he
must sell when he can get to selling
place and not when the best price is OBJ
tainable. The railroads also are deeply
interested in securing good roads. AS
things are now the railroads are swamped
with grain for shipment when good
roads enable the farmer to deliver his
grain to them, but let the weather make
the roads bad, and the.farmer, being I'M
able to haul over them, ceases to bring
his grain to market, and the railroad and
its cars are idle. For this reason alone
many railroads are compelled to have an
unnecessarily large number of cars. Bad
roads congest the grain business into the
periodic spells of good roads, and this
necessitates higher charges for the serv-
ice of transportation when it is rendered.
In addition to all this teaming over bad
roads is hard on the horses, hard on the
wagon and hard on the farmer himself"
''What have you to say concerning the
expense of building good roads through
out the state?"
''That is a most difficult problem to
deal with. However, it may be set down
as principle of right and justice that
those who are benefited by the good
roads should pay for them. But a good
road policy would be of general benefit
to the entire state. 1t might be, there
fore, that some Of the expense should be
borne by the state at large. In addition
each county might have a local tax for
the same purpose. Townships likewise
should have tax. But it would be I'M
fair to township to compel it to build
a lot of bridges over a stream mainly for
the benefit of people all over the county.
1t would be for such a purpose that
general county tax might be levied. In
addition to this, property, farms espe-
cially, that are conspicuously benefited.
should be made to pay O. special assess
ment. All of this, however, is very
crude. I only suggest it as perhaps q
feasible plan. [ would not like to be con-
sidered as having reached final conclu-
sions on this phase of the matter"
would q good road policy upon the
part of the state greatly increase state
taxes?'
THAT would depend upon the policy
adopted. IL we We're to undertake to build
good roads all over Illinois ct once the
cost would be great and would neces-
sarily heavily increase taxation. But
such q policy could not be agreed upon
or maintained. I apprehend that with a
careful and economical administration Of
the state affairs general taxation need be
but little increased, if increased at all, in
order to begin a road policy. And it
should be considered that money expend-
ed in permanent improvements, such as
good roads, is not like money thrown
away upon payrolls of useless employ
ees."
"Have you given the matter of road
building any consideration
"Only in a general way. | have kept
track of the question as it has been
treated in the newspapers and magazines
| and have been much interested by it. 1t
| appears that a good roadbed and road
| way about fourteen feet wide-that is to
say, double track-can be built for about
fifty cents linear foot. This would be
about $4,000 q mile Where a general
system of roadmaking would be gone
| into, however, [ am inclined to believe
that this expense might be greatly re-
duced. But, even at fifty cents foot
two roads spanning an ordinary county
at right angles could be constructed for
less than 100000. The interest on such
an investment would be about $4,000
year. A properly constructed road
would not require much expenditure for
repairs for a long time. Chicago News
Record.