The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-10-20
AGRICULTURAL HINTS.
THE ROADS.
Suggestions That the Work Be Csrrie'
Forward by the Govern mcnt.

There is no longer any necessity for
discussing the desirability and econo-
my of good roads. These two points
have been pretty fully established,
and people generally admit the i'm
portance of improving our country
highways. The great obstacle to
getting to work is the dispute as who
shall undertake the work and pay
for it.
1t is inconceivable to many how the
idea can be entertained for a moment
hat the construction and maintenance
of highways can be safely intrusted to
individuals or private corporations for
gain. Only a little in advance OF this,
it is declared, however. is the so-called
subdistrict road supervisor system.
County control. as a rule. shows still a
marked improvement over the two
plans named, and wherever the states
have entered into the field of road
building with effective legislation an
even greater improvement is noted
But of all roads ever constructed in the
United States those which the nation
a. government has built unquestiona-
bly, are or have been the best
\ striking illustration of the COM
parative merits of national and local
management of public roads is to be
found in Germany. The best roads of
that country were built by the states
which now constitute the empire while
they were vet Independent kingdoms,
and were thus the creations of nation
al governments. Absorbed into the
empire the states were no longer dis
tinct nations. What had been nation
al before to them now sunk to the
rank of the provincial. The roads
had been constantly improved previous
to the formation of the empire. Now
and cheaper roads are built.
and the highways of the fatherland,
excellent as they are. do not com
pare favorably with those of France,
over which national authority is eX-
ercised.
AS regards the cost, it has been es-
timated that, in addition to the good
roads already possessed. in order that
a system equal to the best in Europe
may be had, it would be necessary to
build or rebuild about 1000. 900 miles,
a reasonable estimate of the cost of
which is 81. 1000 a mile, or 81, 200. 600. 600
for the whole country.
Until recently the inhabitants OF
cities in this country rave generally
regarded the building of country roads
as an undertaking which belonged to
the farmer alone, the expense of
which he should bear. OF late. through
natural causes and the general aglta-
ton OF the question, a better under
standing has been reached. The mud
blockades in various sections of the
country in the last few ear have
served to bring merchants of towns
and smaller cities to 4 realizing sense
of what bad roads mean. Three years
ago the merchants of an Ohio city of
80. 200 inhabitants lost, on account of
muddy roads, in two weeks of the hol-
iday season over 800. 900 of trade.
Smaller cities and towns. of course,
suffered still more in proportion, being
more directly dependent upon the
trade which the farmers supplied.
The subdistrict and township plans
of building and maintaining roads
lave been given ample trial and AVE
sadly disappointed those who favored
them. In the light OF experience there
is l desire to know if it is not time to
forsake these worse thar wasteful
plans and adopt a system which others
have proved eminently successful. The
quickest and most satisfactory, and,
in fact, the only sure way to secure
good public highways throughout the
country. in the opinion of many, is for
the national government to step in
and exercise it's rightful authority.
There exists in the country a strong
sentiment adverse to the issuing of
additional national bonds. Can the
roads be built without running the
government into debt? BY building a
reasonable portion of the roads each
year until all shall have been construct
ed. and by apportioning h expense
among the nation, the states and ter
ritories, the counties and possibly the
townships, it is believed it will be
found possible to secur the coveted
good roads without issuing bonds.
Twenty years would be a reasonably
short period for the building of 1.O0O.-
" IlllCS VI At<ho up |
would require the construction of So
200 miles per year. Two hundred mil
lions of dollars would be the annual
expense.
On the convenient supposition that
the nation at large should bear one
half and hat the states and territories.
together with the counties and towns.
should bear the balance, the general
government would be compelled to APP
propriate annually 500. oO0. 900. This
would not represent a very considera-
BILE additional burden, for now
three-fourths of that amount is eX-
pended by the postal department
en- highways OF the remain
ing SIS, 600, 900 a large share, say
$40. OO0, 600. would be wiped out by EN-
ploying regular army forces on the
roads in those sections where their
is required. As a rule, it may
be said, no less than 10000 men,. who
now find army life irksome. because of
its idle m~onotony. could be employed
to good account on the highways
the majority of the state govern
nents, as we'll as the counties and
it is believed. could also SO
nrovide for the expeuSe which they |