Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-04-26
GOOD ROADS
DISCUSSED BY HON. IA. BEAVER, Elk
GOVERNOR OF PENNSYLVANIA.
Tho Education OF Public Sentiment
Some Difficulties in the Way County or
state Control Practical Suggestions.

tory solution. In fact very few of the many
factors entering into the problem have been
successfully solved. As we read of repre-
sentatives of the executive and legislative
branches of the national government and of
the governors of three of our most populous,
wealthy and influential States assembling
for the purpose of inspecting the practical
operations of State aid furnished to some of
the municipalities within that State for the
construction Of good roads, it would seem as
if great stride had been made in the right
direction. To some extent this is true, but
the friends of road improvement have, to
largo extent, been confined to public officials
who, by reason of their relations to the peo-
pile, were compelled to give attention and
careful consideration to the subject. We
must not forget that, whilst these persons
occupy high official position, they are, never
theless the servants of the people. Any
great movement or any needed reform must
Icces~arilv move slowly, when the servant
instructs the master and when he attempts
to move in any direction in opposition to or
in advance of the power which controls him.
ii the people were moving and the officials
following, there would be more hope of an
early and successful solution of the great
problem.
THE FACTOR OF PUBLIC SENTIMENT.
1t will be understood from what has been
said that the one great factor in the solution
ui the problem Of good roads is public senii-
ment Whenever the masses of our people
ran he brought to think upon this subject
properly and can have their thoughts
awakened to the Importance of the subject
so as to beget a desire for better thugs, we
will secure them. and not before. As gen
cral thing the people will get what they
want. We are not likely to secure what they
do not want The first step, therefore, is to
awaken a desire for what they ought to have.
The result will follow desire
The inspection of the practical results Sc
cured hy State aid offered by New Jersey to
any locality availing itself of her offer made
by the secretary of agriculture, accompanied
by representatives. of the legislative branch
pf the government with the governors of
New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey
will do good. The good accomplished how
ever, will he largely because of the attention
which such visit and inspection will at
tract. 1t will cause our people to think up
on the subject and careful thought AMI
common sense consideration must inevitably
lead to right conclusions upon this subject,
DIFFICULTIES IN THE WAY.
ne average ClJlHen DecOlleS quickly SeuSl-
tive whenever the subject of taxation is
preached. Nothing so quickly puts him in
an attitude of defiance or antagonism a
proposition to impose anew tax OF to change
the amount or mode of imposing and col
Letting an old one Here lies one of the
chief difficulties in the way of securing road
improvement. If we We're starting the ques
ton afresh, with the knowledge and expert
ence which we have gained in the past, it
would be comparatively easy; but, when you
propose to increase local taxation for road
purposes or to change the mode of collecting
an amount equal to what has heretofore
been levied, in other words, when you pro
pose to require the ordinary citizen who has
worked out his tax for many years to pay
q like amount in cash, you then place him at
once in an attitude of opposition and def
ance.
Our newer States will find much less diff
Guilty in dealing with this subject than those
which have been building roads under laws
which related to primitive conditions for
100 years. or more. AS we travel in the
newer States, are surprised at the num-
Der and character of their school buildings
md are apt 10 diSparage the older States, as
We compare them with the newer ones. but
it is well to remember that the new States
begin where the old ones leave off Their
l"II' carry WIFI lntlil lllJO lIItli utN Iplilts
the best results attained in their former
homes. They have nothing to undo. They
begin upon new foundations, and as a re-
suit their building is apparently in advance
of what has been reached in the older set
Elements. This is so, doubtless lin the matter
of public roads. 1t is especially true rs u
road legislation. If the legislation in the
several States within the last five years re-
lating to this subject be examined, it will be
apparent that the newer States have de
uided advantage over the older ones in pro
viding for the construction and maintenance
Of good roads, The State of Washington,
called the Pennsylvania of the West, has en-
acted at least three practical and effective
road laws since 1890. The State of Penn
sylvania has been all that time vainly en-
deayoring to secure such changes in existing
laws as will enable the advocates of good
roads to make a start in the direction of re
form and Improvement
80 GROUNDS FOR DIsCOURAGEMENT.
Ncagre and unsatisfactory net results
must not discourage the advocates of gooC
roads The greaterthe obstacles in the way
Of progress the greater the necessity for &C
| tlvlty and earnestness and continued discus
! sion. Real reform is prOverbially slow. i
j. reached only by and through earnest anC
continuous agitation. This agitation is to be
carried on in such a way as to reach the
great mas, of our reading and thinking PEG
pie. The medium through which il is to b.
carried On is the county paper.
II we could enlist in the cause Of road re
form every editor of every county news
paper in the United States and could imbu
him with practical ideas upon the subject
the battle would be half won. The difficult,
in accomplishing such result is two-fold
First. The average editor is the FOLLOWER
rather than the leader of public sentiment
aud secondly, discussion and expert
euce have not gone so far to determine
definitely what are the best results at which
10 aim and what are the methods through
which those results are to be reached
THE QUESTION OF COUNTY OR STATE CON
troll
The friends of road reform are not agreed
n TO the authority which shall control tb