The Kosciusko star. (Kosciusko, Miss.) 18??-1898, 1895-05-17

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advantages Of good roads, and so
universally endorsed this reform,
that all classes o; our citizens APP
preciate the necessity Of. and are
anxious for. the immediate adop-
ton Of such laws as will hasten
the construction Of such highways.
Massachusetts has from the
outset taken the lead in this mat
ter, and the spirit Of her Legisla-
ture has been shown by making
the Highway Commission a per-
mancnt one, and by appropriating
three hundred thousand to be eX-
pended, under the immediate su-
pervision IF the Commission, in
constructing new and rebuilding
old roads.
AS a natural result of the popu-
lar agitation and the monster pcti-
ton, which | had the honor to pre-
sent to Congress in 1898, the Unit
ed States recognized the necessity
of move in this direction, and
under the Agricultural BIZ
made a special appropriation of
$4,000 to meet the expense OF a
careful investigation into the con-
dition of roads throughout the
country, and for the publication OF
such information as would assist
the people in lettering their high
ways. The Department of Agri.
culture has issued q number OF
bulletins, and it is graf.
flying to learn that more than a
score of States have already pass
ed new road laws, while nearly all
the others are planning for the
adoption of measures for the pro.
motion of this reform.
Experience has shown that the
course pursued by Massachusetts
is the one which commends itself
most strongly, both to the people
at large and to their legal repre-
sentatives, the various State Legis-
latures, and it is natural to sup
pose that if all were familiar with
the work here the knowledge would
be utilized to bring about similar
legislation wherever the method
of proce lure is still unsettled, For
this reason | would call to your
attention and urge upon you the
advisabilitv Of enlightening your
readers on the good work We have
already accomplished.
Starting in June, 1892, a Ten
pory Commission was appointed to
examine into the condition of the
roads, and to draft a bill providing
for the improvement of the high
ways of the Commonwealth. The
law suggested by the Commission
was, with some changes, paesed in
June, 1898, but, before any petl-
tons for the construction OF State
highways were submitted to the
General Court, an act was intro
duced and passeds June "a, 1894,
increasing the powers of the Com
mission, and permitting the Select
men OF any town, or the Mayor
and Aldermen of any city, as well
as tie County Commissioners, to
petition the Highway Commission
for taking roads as State highways.
In place of submitting to the Leg
stature separate bill for the con-
struction OF each road, it was vot-
ed that the appropriation be used
by the Highway Commission,
without further legislation, in
building State highways.
The 100000 has been pretty
evenly divided among fourteen
counties. Before cecldlng when
of tie many petitions should be
granted an official visit was paid
TO each locality, and full Informal
ton as to the value of the propos-
ed improvement collected. While
this method has distributed the
work in small sections of roads,
thus increasing the expense pei
mile, the advantage to the people
at large will be greater, for the
reason that each portion of the
State highway con structed is In
tended to be an object lesson to
those living near by. County
Commissioners and other officials
will watch the work as it progress
es and follow out the same lines in
building county and other roads
which are not intended for State
highways.
The plan is to build, section by
e.n,;,O NV saction such roads aS