Arizona republican., 1894-11-01
IMPROVING THE ROADS.


 and people generally admit the i'm
 portance of improving our countr
 highways, The great obstacle t,
 getting to work is the dispute as wht
 shall undertake the work and pa7
 for it.
 It is inconceivable to many how the
 idea can be entertained for a momen-
 that the construction and maintenance
 Of highways can be safely intrusted te
 individuals or private corporations fol
 gain. Only a little in advance of this
 1t Is declared, however, is the so-called
 suodistrict road supervisor system.
 County control, as 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 al government has built unquestiona- ply are or have been the best.
 A striking illustration of the com paratlve 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 yet independent kingdoms, and were thus the creations of nation al governments. Absorbed into the emplre the states were no longer dis tlnct 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 narrower and cheaper roads are built. and the highways of the fatherland, excellent as they are, do not con- pare favorably with those of France. over which national authority is ex- erciSed.
 As regards the cost, it has been es- tlmated 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 i build or rebuild about 1,O00, 000 miles. a reasonable estimate of the cost of winch is S4,O00 mile, or S4, 900, COG, 900 for the whole co untry.
 Until recently the inhabitants ot sltles in this country have generally the building of country roads IS an undertaking which belonped to he farmer alone, the expense of which he should bear. Of late, through latural causes and the general aoita- Ion of the question, a better under taEdlng has been reached. The mud 'fockadeS ln various sections of tba ountrT ln the last few years have erVed to bring merchants of towns nd smaller cities to a realizing sense T what bad roads mean. Three years go the merchants of an Ohio city of o,ooo inhabitants lost, on account of auddy roads, in two weeks of the hol- lay season over S1O0,O00 of trade. mailer cities and towns, of course. iHered still more in proportion, being lore directly dependent upon the 'ade which the farmers supplied. The subdistrict and township plans ] building and maintaining roads ave been given ample trial and have ~ Idly disappointed those who favored U lem. In the light of experience there 1T ! desire to know if it is not time to u rsake these worse than wasteful ans and adopt system which others i've proved eminently successful. The 1ckest and most satisfactory, and, n, Iact' the only sure way to secure VI od public highways throughout the uhtry, Tn the opinion of many, is for national government to step in exerelse its rightful authority. There exists in the country strong ltlment adverse to the isseing of national bonds. Can the / ads be built without running the N seffment into debt? By building a portion of the roads each IT until all shall have been construct is ! and by apportioning the expense co1 ong the nation, the states and ter tha m orles, the counties and possibly the it is believed it will be I nd possible to secure the coveted die 'o roads without issuing bonds. COT enty years would be reasonably of Tt period for the building of 1,O0O,- fro fro miles of suitable highways. This nes lld require the construction of 5O,- or! miles per year. Two hundred mil un, IS of dollars would be the annual aft ense. i nai n the convenient supposition that of nation at large should bear one es ye and that the states and territories, to T ether with the counties and towns, 'eil uld bear the balance, the general q -ernment would be becompelled to ap- Lot priate annually $1oO,Oo0,ooo This fr fro uld not represent very considera- ma
 ,dd;+ional h,,rden. for now bro
 4 .: etc ee-tOurthS or that dnounG Is eA- kir
 I