The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-09
FOR GOOD HIGHWAYS
PROF. j. II. COMMONS ADDRESSES
THE ANNUAL MEETING.
Believes the Entire Benefit of Good
Roads DOcs'NOt Accrue to Country
ACities Should Help Build Them.

The Indiana Highway Improvement AS
ISOLATION began it's annual meeting in the
Statehouse yesterday forenoon, the attend
| ance at the opening session being limited
to about twenty-five of those persons in
terested in the subject of better roads
The officers of the association are J. A
Mount, of Shannondale, President; c.
Holer, of South Bend, treasurer and Evans
Woollen, of Indianapolis, secretary. Presi-
dent Mount discussed the purpose of the
| association at the morning session, the
discussion being led by r. A. Brown, of
Franklin.
At the afternoon session a paper on
THE Economic Phase of Good Roads,,
by Prof. J. r. Commons, of Bloomington,
was read by the secretary, Prof. Commons
being unable to attend on account of the
serious illness of his father. Prof. Com
mons discussed the subject under the heads
of who gets the benefit?' How much
does it cost?" who pays for it?" and
who ought to pay for it?'' He quoted
| statistics to show that bad roads cost the
farmers of this country an amount equiv
alent to 81 an acre annually and, quoting
from Prof. Ely, he said poor roads cost
| the famer SIS for each horse maintained.
He felt that the farmers, however. were
| not benefited in proportion to what good
roads cost them the cities and larger
| that the latter should bear portion of the
cost of making and maintaining good
| country roads. He thought the law of 1891,
enacted by the New Jersey Legislature,
| was a step in the right direction, wherein
the owners who are benefited pay one
tenth of the cost, the State one-third and
| the county the remainder.
sa9 ha has
| industries which concentrate in les.
FROM helpless infants they have become
| sta n adults i.,e farmer has paid the
bills. Now agriculture is in a position to
| need protection. The best possible protec-
zion is good roads. If we wait for the
farmer, to build the roads we assign him
| burden he cannot bear in agriculture,
| just as protection preceded manufactures
| then we shall develop our greatest industry
| 50 that in the course of time it will be
aole ss IKE Ike manufacture al1s to bear Increased
the outlay in its behalf. '''0 sac
But the federal government cannot I'M
| aertske this expense 1t remains for the
eral government protect manufactures and
commerce, let the State governments fos-
most economical and efficient aid is found,
perhaps. in the creation of a State high
| way commission.
! A State highway commission, composed
OF experts, giving their entire time to
supervisors, would do more for road o-1 inn
provement In Indiana than any other legal
arrangement.
! Next, the State should make appropria-
| tons in aid of county gravel and macadam
| roads, like the State aid in New Jersey
| 1t might not go SO far as to contribute
one-third, but it should assist literally 1t
| has been estimated that Indiana spends
| S2,6OOO0O yearly for roads One-fourth or
| one-third of this could bring better results
| II expended by the State instead of coun-
| ties and townships, under the supervis on
( of the State highway commission
| The speaker thought the money for good
| roads could be raised by adopting an in
| her1tance tax law similar to that in force
| in. Ohio and New York.
| Other papers of the afternoon were by
| L. III. Gibson, on the First Thing to be
Done" L. 3. Ewbank, of indianapolis.
| spoke on ..Neghborhood Roads, and
| James n. Hill on Help for Weak Dis
tricts.' 'Needful Good Roads LEGISLATOR
was discussed by Capt. S. NJ. Stockslager,
| or Corydon. Just before adjournment of
| the afternoon session the following commit
tee on nomination of officers for the com
| lng year was appointed J. N HILL of
| Owen county; Dr. E. H. Collins of Ham
ilton. and w. Sanford, of Hancock.