Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1897-09-23

TO gathering OF FARMERS that the
League of American Wheelmen pro-
poses to help them in bringing about
proper division of the cost of good
roads, SO that the city people, the cap
italists, merchants and manufacturers,
the wealthy corporations, railroad, in
surance and telephone companies; II
fact every class of people, shall contrib
ute to the cost of building them. The
League of American Wheelmen believes
that many OF our country roads should
be built by state aid; that part of the
cost of good roads should be paid out
of state tax, which would be levied
upon all property and all classes Of
people alike, so that every taxpayer
shall contribute proportionate
amount, according to the amount Of
property he owns. We propose thai
the states shall help to build roads
and to divide their total cost between
The people of the locality, who are mos
directly benefited, and the adjoining
property owners whose land rises il
value as result of the improvement
and the state, as representing the en-
tire population. This is not Utopia1
plan; it is not q theory only, but has
been adopted in practice with great
success in New Jersey, In Connecticut,
il Rhode Island and, in a modified form,
in Massachusetts. New Jersey has be-
come famous for The fine 1oads she has
built. These were constructed by u
state aid system under which their
cost is divided about as 1 have indi-
Gated. The farmers of New Jersey
are enthusiastic over this state aid
system, and the towns and counties are
glad to pay their share of the cost of
these roads so long as the state pays
is part. The country districts in New
Jersey are overwhelming the state au-
horities with petitions to assist in the
Improvement of local roads, and the
legislature cannot appropriate funds
or the purpose sufficient to meet the
demands from the farmers. The New
crsey commissioner of public roads
tells me that large part Of his time is
occupied listening to the pleadings of
farmers that the roads in their districts
shall be the first to receive the benefit
of state aid.
Our suggestion of state aid Is now
also being advocated by the leading rep
resentative farmers of the United
States as the proper solution of this
great bodybuilding question. The
farmers national congress has passed
resolutions in favor of state aid, and Mr..
John NJ. Stahl, the able and energetic
secretary Of that organization, is one
of its warmest advocates. He has writ
ten extensively upon the subject, and
has assisted us in our work for state aid
before the legislatures. In New York
state, in Connecticut, in Pennsylvania
md in Wisconsin, the League of Amer
lean Wheelmen and the farmers or
CARNATIONS have worked hand in hand
for state aid. This is the strongest en-
dorsement which could be given to the
efforts of the League OF American
w DcelIneu, uNu SHOWS lHuI my "a y
aimed in the right direction.
All classes alike are beginning to re-
alize the great economic Importance OF
permanent highways. Farmers feel
that they have too long been compelled
to build and improve country roads at
their own expense, and they are en-
titled to state support in this great
necessary public improvement. Upon
these lines, and upon these lines alone,
the good roads improvement is bound to
succeed, and will succeed, and upon
these lines the League Of American
Wheelmen proposes to keep up its agi-
tation, with the help of the farmers of
the United States, until our common
roads, neglected until now, the sterchil-
dren, as it were, of q great republic,
shall have received at the hands of our
legislatures some Of that tender care
and nursing which has been extended
in the past to canals, to steamship lines
and to railroads, many of which have
grown up almost entirely at public ex-
penSe.