Evening star., 1897-05-01
G Cd ROADS NOTES

The cyclists in the vicinity of Pottstown.
Pa. have been instrumental in securing Os)
tons of cracked stone placed on the roads
in the vicinity of their town
Protests have been filed against the use
Of convicts in road building because It is
not only demoralizing. but is also very ex-
pensive, as the cost of operating the con-
Vicfs far exceeds the value of their work.
The bill drafted by Professor Hamilton.
the assistant secretary of agriculture of
pennsylvania, for the construction of per-
n'anent roads. has passed the state senate
py majority vote of twenty, and is now
pending in the house of representatives.
Bill Nye once wrote something about road
building. which is in keeping with his other
writings Our wagon roads throughout
the country" wrote he, ARE generally a
disgrace to civilization, and before we un-
dertake to supply Jaeger underwear and
sealskin-covered Bibles with flexible hacks
to the Africans. it might be well to pvt q
iew dollars h.to the relief of CALLED and
oroken-down horses that have lost their
health on our miserable highways The
country system, as 1 know t. Is about ,s
poor and inefficient as it could be- With a
read overseer in each road district, whose
outy II Is to collect SO many days work or
SO many dollars from each taxpayer in the
district. OF course. no taxpayer would nav
dollar when he can come and make mud
pies on the road all day, and visit and COS
SIP Win the ne1ghbors and save his dollar,
tco: with all due respect to the farmer /
Will state right here that he does not know
how to make roads. An wise Providence
never intended that he should know. The
professional road builders. with the money
used by our self-made road architects.
would. In a few years, make roads in the
United states over which two or three
times the present sized load could easily
oe drawn, and the dumb beasts of the re-
PUBLIC would rise up and call us bless ed for
doing it,
some strong arguments why cyclists
should not be taxed have been advanced
from time to time. as the subject has been
ag1tated. Speaking on the matter recently
q prominent Chicago wheelman gave these
reasons why cyclists should not be sub
yecteo 10 special tax because they hap
pen pen. to. to own wheels: l.. The cyclist
Iensive tracks. as does the horse traffic:
create blocks or impede traffic in any man.
ner whatever. 2 A cycle. though fire.
queneiy luxury: Is often necessity to the
workman and the business man as well.
.. The cyciist. although the careless person
OFTEN casts his body before his wheel al
ways suffers with his victim in person, ma
pursued by rich and poor alike and a INIT
form tax on m achines would press harshly
on the poor rider. s. A tax upon an in,
strument of locomotion. not used solely for
lcai purposes. would be costly to enforce
ana unless fixed at an oppressiveiy nigh
rate the expense Of arranging its Incidence
ana coliectfon would seriously diminish the
receipts. u The imposition Of tax on a
pastime and the enforc emert OF the Law bv
prosecutions ard penalties are unpopular In
a spoft-loving country. Z Many persons
Keep cycle Tor occasional use, and to tax
these equally With the constant riders
"ouis not be equitable. g. A tax would in
variabiy impose a check upon the pursuit
OF healthy and beneficial pastime.