Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-21

| MINt%A kAH legislative branches
| 'WAyNVNNN a of the national gov
| M eminent 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 IL great stride had been made in the
| right direction. To some extent this is
| true. but the friends of road improvement
have, to large extent been confined to
public officials. who, by reason of their re-
lations to the people, were compelled to
give attention and careful consideration to
the subject We must not forget that while
these persons occupy high official position,
they are. nevertheless. the servants Of the
| people. Any great movement or any need
ed reform must necessarily 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 sue
| cessful 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 solu-
ton of the problem Of good roads is public
sentiment. Whenever the masses of our
people can be brought to think upon this
subject properly and can have their
! thoughts awakened to the Importance of
the subject so to beget desire for bet
ter things, We will secure them, and not be-
| fore. As a general 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 by state aid offered by New Jersey
to any locality availing itself of her offer
made by the Secretary of Agriculture, &C
companied by representatives of the legis-
lative branch of the government. with the
governors Of New York, Pennsylvania and
New Jersey, will do good.
The good accomplished however will be
largely because of the attention which
such visit and inspection will attract
IL VIII cause our people to think upon the
subject, and careful thought and common
sense consideration must inevitably lead
to right conclusions upon this subject.
Difficulties in the Way.
The average citizen becomes quickly SEN
sitive whenever the subject of taxation
Is preached Nothing so quickly puts him
In an attitude of defiance or antagonism
as proposition to impose a new tax or
to change the amount or mode Of imposing
and collecting an old one. Here lies one of
the chief diff culties in the way of securing
road Improvement If we were starting
the question afresh, with the knowledge
and experience which we have gained in
the past, IL 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 propose to require
the ordinary citizen who has worked OUT
his tax for many years to pay a like
amount in cash you then place him at
once in an attitude of opposition and de-
fance
Our newer states will find much less diff
hculty in dealing with this subject than
those which have been building roads I'M
der laws which related to primitive con-
ditions for one hundred years or more
AS we travel in the newer states We are
surprised at the number and character
OF their school buildings and are apt to
disparage the older states, we COM
pare them with the newer ones, but il is
well to remember that the new states be-
gin where the old ones leave off. Their
people carry with them into their new
homes the best results attained in their
former homes. They have nothing to undo.
They begin upon new foundations, and, as
result, their building is apparently in ad-
I
older settlements. This is so doubtless in
the matter of public roads. 1t is especially
true as to road legislation. If the legisla-
ton in the several states within the last
five years relating to this subject be ex-
amined IL will be apparent that the newer
states have a decided advantage over the
older ones in providing for the construc-
ton and maintenance of good roads, The
/ state of Washington. called the Pennsyl-
vania of the west, has enacted at least
three practical and effective road laws since
1890. The state of Pennsylvania has been
all that time vainly endeavoring to secure
such changes in existing laws as will ena-
BILE the advocates of good roads to make
a start in the direction of reform and i'm
provement
No Grounds for Encouragement
Meager and unsatisfactory net results
must not discourage the advocates of good
roads The greater the obstacles in the way
of progress the greater the necessity for ac-
tivity and earnestness and continued dis
cussion. Real reform is proverbially slow
1t is reached only by and through earnest
and continuous agitation. This agitation is
to be carried on In such a way to reach
the great mass of our reading and thinking
people. The medium through which 1t is to
be carried on is the county paper
II we could enlist in the cause Of road re-
form every editor of every county newspa-
per in the United States and could Undue
him with practical ideas upon the subject
the battle would be half won. The difficulty
In accomplishing such a result is twofold
First. The average editor is the follower
rather than the leader of public sentiment
and secondly, discussion and experience
have not gone so far to determine def
nitely what are the best results at which to
aim and what are the methods through
| which those results are to be reached.
County or State Control.
The friends of road reform are not agreed
| as to the authority which shall control the
laying out and construction OF public high
ways There are disadvantages in the town.
ship or town system which prevails in many
of our older states. There are less but still
serious objections to county control. 1t would
seem as If the state could more easily end
more effectively carry into practical effect
a uniform system: but, when the machinery
for carrying such a system into effect is out
lined. II becomes SO cumbersome and expen-
sive that the average legislator is appalled,,
hesitates and then despairs.
1t is a comparatively easy matter to pro-
vide roads in populous, wealthy districts,
where land is occupied by suburban resi-
dents and is worth one thousand dollars
per acre. as is the case in some of the coun-
Joining the larger cities. The people in
these sections really desire good roads. A
fair tax upon the value of their property
will secure them. They are ready not only
to pay such tax, but are quite willing to
contribute voluntarily toward the road
fund, when practical results are apparent.
| The conditions are entirely different when
you come to farming community, where
] ALI