The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-07-28
COOPERATIVE ROAD CONsTRUC
TON.

is setting steadily toward q recognition
of the common interest of all classes of
citizens, wherever located, and Of all
capital, however invested, in good
roads.
The following TepOr5 OF Roy Stone,
Special Agent and Engineer OF the De
partment of Agriculture, on co-opera-
tive road construction, furnishes sew
eral points Of interest.
Heretofore the cost OF country roads
has been borne by the farmers alone,
and no method has been provided
whereby the people in towns could con
tribute thereto. These people are now
becoming thoroughly convinced Of
their interest in country roads, end in
many cases are even more willing than
the farmers to aid in road improve,
ment.
The best plan for starting CD i'm
provement is that OF the local initiative,
or benefit district plan. Country road
laws have been passed in many States,
but they involve the education OF a
whole country before any work can be
begun, but in every county some
neighborhood will be prompt to avail
itself of the opportunity to secure road
Improvement upon contributing a pOr
ton toward its cost.
In some States towns have been au
thorized t o Issue bonds for road i'm
provement and have done so success
fully, buthave necessarily paid a higher
rate of interest than q county OF State
would do.
The benef5 district, being self defined
and of absolutely identical interest,
forms the ideal unit for initiating road
construction. Any larger district as a
town or county, containing a number
of roads, is liable to be divided by loc=l
interests and j~ealousies, but the users
of any one road can have no cause for
division of interest.
The benefit district includes, without
question, all the users of the section Of
road in question, and the extent CT
their individual use Of the road can be
approximately ascertained, and when
R~scertained forms the moss 60 Iitable
possible basis for the division of the
local share of the cost.
The constantly increasing use Of
county roads by the city people or for
their benefit, DEVELOPS ard demon
strates a community of interest on the
part Of the citizens. The common in
terest of all capital in the subject il
we'll expressed by the following utter
ance Of the Chamber Of Commerce of
the State of New York. The move
ment for coed roads deeply concerns
every commercial and financial interest
in the land. We are handicapp d IN
all the markets Of the world oy al
enormous waste Of labor IN the pri
mary transportation Of our products
and manufactures, while our home
markets are restricted by difficulties
in rural distribution which not infre-
quently clcg all the channels of trans
%portation, trade and finance"
TIE community of interest in the
subject being recognized, methods for
CO operation in roads construction and
the proper distribution Of the cost
thereof, become the ruling question in
the discussion Of highway improve
ment.
The most notable and extended co
operative work has been done in New
JERSEY, under the State aid law Of 1891
Under this law the property owners
along any line of road are assessed IL
per cent. of the cost, ard the county is
compelled to furnish the remainder and
to construct the road. The law has
been so effective that the appropriation
has been annually increased and the
demand for construction under it has
many times exceeded the funds avail
able. Il has, moreover, created com
petition for the benefits of State ex-
penditure, and in that wey has pro.
NOTED discussion and education in re
gard to road Improvement more rapid
ly than any other system.
Connecticut has taken up the co
operative method upon the scale of an
equal distribution between the State,
county, and the district. The townsin
New England having complete govern
ment, the policy of the Massachusetts
State Road Commission has been to
place all contracts for road construc
ton in the hands of the town authori-
ties, to be executed by town officials.
The effect of this plan has been excel
lent. Whatever profit may be derived
from the construction becomes a pub
lilo fund instead IF 0o;1o - r