New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-13
GOOD ROADS LEGISLATION.
AN IMPORTANT REFORM soME"hAl
OVERLOOKED.
WI, Ar mas prrv DONE By THE LEGISLATURE TO
CARRY OFT THE SUGGESTIONS Or
GOVERNOR MORTON.
fpv TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE


,o xox, 20 the reform OF the many
-. 80, ,,r,,c abuses In municipai admi's
tration uncovered BY the lexo" i"Nes -
haps no more urgent and IMP ''"", ,,,r,,,on
laid upon this Legislature 'n'' ..-~,ov, tho
- - ixo,o, s,.s,er Of highways throughout 'he
State In his message last January 1870 ~
'a' 80, A. ,,or,ou of the Legislature 70 inc
.-,,,. ., ao,ro ,onnething TO meet the Pop".
demand for better rolds. and IN reSp'" ln,,,
suggestion Speaker FISH, III - rI,ob
promptly appointed s?eciai 'o"''' s,,, County
na. Irnroveme,t Mr. Higbe. OF SUFFOLK 'o""'''
hong named as Chairman. III 'ne '"''' " =.
,',.., h,.-.,,or and amid the excitemch, q.
Tho heated struggle to pass the VIAL mum. f a
reform bills the more sarguine eNpe0'N" 49,
friend, OF a better fcad "ySe" "a, fa,r IN
h,nniiv disappointed. ana the ses'''' ,,.hoa
o,d ME week with little or nothing acco'"p'".
IN tho way Of modcrnizing the nish"aS' VI Wv
State. ..o % tho sne-
r, ,,d no said perhaps. in justice 10 ,he sle
c,aI committee appointed to CONSIDER ''e . a.,
the Assembly, that its inVes'sa''o''' ,a,..ro
IN boar fruit at the next session oi NV 80 49,.
.,or ,bo, ., this one and that its inquiries "a'o
been conducted chiefly with view " '"s"s
,,a,.I,, h,eis for n complete and comprehensive
schone Of future road Improvement reS''"e INV
all the sections OF the state. 1901, ,~,,o
,r committee has spent the winter ana spIIi's
IN following I'D three separate lines OF inPu'''
Gre, covered the care and maintenance OF e~su'''s
-. .,..hc,ras and involved the feasibility
rd ,r,c.cabilltv Of extending these thorousni'feo
into adjoining States. The State Engineer ",'1
Surveyor has been called upon 10 sSe
u.,os of the cost OF extending sucn roa's
and the Superintendent OK Prisons - eNP
- Give tho committee some light on the
question of employing convict TABOR III co'a'
, ,,d kocninr I'D the state road system AS uh-
dor the new Constitution the products OF p'iSo"
labor cannot be sod by the State no more s'h''9
factory disposition Of the convict 'apo'' II -
thought could well be made
1'h. second branch OF the committees h''eS"ea
ria, extended TO the country-road system, when
:, y,s hon,a TO make auxiliary to the State schene
bv means OF combinations and connexions WIN
tho main thoroughfares. The soil and climate Vi
tho various counties have been studied. and ADVICE
has been sought to the kinds OF art'c'a io""
beds best suited to different sections
The third branch Of inquiry covered the low"
r,ods whose condition generally throughout the
state Is said to be little less than scaniaous lhes
roads chiefly for local and OF local peheHI
are the most difficult to reach and improve ana Il
has been the hope OF the committee Dotn 10 excite
d, rho country districts an intelligent interest in
the irnprovement Of these highways ana TO as
cover some scheme Of betterment which Will not
throw too heavy a burden Of taxation on the local
taxpayer.
II +, expected that the committees report, when
made will offer many valuable and wel-considereh
SUGGESTIONS and VIII encourage materially the prog
rcss Of road reform. The members OF me com
miitce are besides Mr.. Higb.e the chairman.
Messrs Schocpain OF Erie; Nacheron. or Queens
/ Armstrong. Of Monroe krenricn. OF sullivan To-
hin OF New York and Sialey. OF Schoharie. ~,
hut although the more comprehensive scheme OF
road IMPROVEMENT which this speclaI cofnlittes
has been engaged has not yet been competed anu
submitted the session has not been entlrrS pdfrei
i'm the way OF good roads legislation. The minor
but 10y no unimportant road bill iathered
by Mr.. AlnswOrtE mas been passed by tns AS
sembiy and is now the calendar or the senate
during the last days OF the session are somewhat
problematical BY the terms Of this BILL State ala
il 10 be given towns and counties which them
selves take the Initiative IN road Improvement 10
s,on.rs is authorized to appoint civil engineer at
a salary Of 5000 who is 10 perform the dutles OF d
highway or road engineer and whose services are
to be al the disposal Of town and county autnori-
thirds OF the owners of property fronting on pro
posed country roads may apply by petition 70 the
railroad Commission for a survey. ana IL the boaii
approves the question OF opening me Toan - 70 De
towns through which II is TO pass. II majority
OF tn. voters favor he improvement, the state
Board Is 10 undertake the work one half OF the
expense Is TO be paid by the State. one-quarter by
road runs and one-qtarter by the towns Tor whose
direct benefit the highway is to be constructed
The maintenance OF the road after construction ~
70 be a county charge. Town roads are 10 be built
under somewhat similar conditions except that the
whole cost is fail on the towns through which
the roads run, the State furnishing the services or
the engineer only State cOnyicts may BE- put 10
work upon the county roads. and the contractors
/ thousand dollars Is appropriated In Mr.. AIMS
worth's bill to put the new road-improvement sys-
TEN IN operation. .
II Is to be hoped that the measure may pass the
Senate and thus at least open the for more
comprehensive scheme Of road legislation next win
ter the winter ate.