The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-05-24
General Observations on the
State Roads.
What the Highway Committee Pro-
pose to Assembly.
Condition Not Creditable-Suggestions
for Improvement.

To speak generally, say the highway
committee in their report to the General
Assembly, the condition OF the highways
throughout the State is not at all credit
able TO the taxpayers Of the various towns.
This is at once, as we have shown, an un-
favorable criticism upon the liberality OF
the appropriations made for this purpose,
and upon the intelligence with which
such appropriations have been expended
and the highways constructed with them
have been used.
There are towns, OF course, to which
these structures do not apply, but they
are only too true in all respects OF most
of the country towns, and even in some
of the towns which have pro-
vided large sums annually for
maintenance and repairs, but have not
expended them as they should. The total
of such appropriations in the past ten
years would have built hard tar or asphalt
concrete driveways 10 feet wide on every
mile of highway within the limits of the
town. The committee does not place it
self on record as recommending roads OF
either this width or character, but
even such a road is vastly supe-
most towns today, and this fact is cited
only to impress upon the taxpayers that
the manual expenditure of the major por-
tion OF the towns appropriation, in con-
structing as much permanent roadway as
possible, will, in q few years, result in the
town's having throughout its entire area
good roads, which can be maintained in
good condition at much less expense
than poor ones.
1t has been repeatedly urged upon the
committee that these things should be
remedied by the State paying three quar-
ters of the cost OF building good high
gays for all the towns in the State, but
such course seems to be unjust, and we
cannot recommend It. The theory that
the strong should help the weak
Is untenable in such matters. The
strong were once weak and only by
burdening themselves with debt and taxa
tion have they become strong. Now to
ray that because town has become pros
porous and wealthy by providing for it.
seif in liberal and progressive manner, II
hould turn round and pay for improve
tents in other towns, which, through
Ack OF enterprise and penuriousness hav'
failed to provide them for themselves
is unjust. 1t Is also discouragini
to thrift and enterprise, and puts prem.
ium on short sightedness and small ap-
propriations. Providence, Newport, Paw
tucket, Woonsocket, Lincoln, Contra
Falls, Cumberland, East Providence
Cranston, Johnston, South Kingstown,
Westerly, Warren, Bristol, and
Warwick may be named as places
where liberal appropriations fol
highways have been made, a:
result of which many good highway:
exist. The bonded and other indebted.
ness of these places, for this and for Other
improvements, amounts far into the mil
lions. Their valuation in round numbers
is S31s, ,0O0,0 The total valuation of the
State is s359, 100000. The valuation OF tn,
remaining towns is si0,5OO,o0o. There.
fore, proposition to spend q
million and half in good
highways throughout the State, OF which
tuo otubO onOulh Puy
another way of asking the last namec
cities and towns to pay s1,3oo,oOo for th'
purpose OF building highways in the less
enterprising towns, after having spent
millions of their own money for roads
within their own borders. The injustice o
such a scheme Is more plainly shown by
the fact that the city OF Providence alon,
would have TO contribute 100000 OF thi
million and half. or course it stand
very alluring and inexpensive TO say tha
the State shall pay three-quarters Of tn,
expense. To the unthinking person i
does not seem TO place any burden upoi
the towns and cities, but th
1t gots by taxing towns and cities
and under such scheme the towns ant
cities which have already made the out
lay for supplying their own needs in thi
particular, would virtually be the one
that would be called upon TO pay for tn
highways in the towns to be benefited
But with the hope that an object lessoi
will be OF benefit in towns where sue
highways do not exist; that seeing tn
method of construction in its variou
stages will be instructive TO the taxpayer
and officials in such towns and enabl
them to more readily and cheaply con
struct such highways for themselves; tina
riding over piece OF good road day b
day, will also cause them to appreciat
the advantages OF good roads and to max
more liberal appropriations for thei
construction, the committee recommend
to the General Assembly for its action,
bill which will provide for the construc
tion in each town, IL it so desires, OF
half mile OF good, modern, well construc
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