The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-08-27
Dorner,s Plan for Good Roads.

At the Rock River Chautauqua at
Dixon, ILL.,, Mr.. Otto Dorner of Milwau-
kee, chairman of the improvement
committee of the National League of
American Wheelmen, delivered an ad
dress on "How Shall We Obtain Better
Roads" He said, in part:
''Road building in the United States
has been left entirely in the hands Of
the farmers and in charge of the local
town authorities. These local authori-
ties, as a rule, have no knowledge of
road building, and fifty years of expert
ence has shown great deal of labor
wasted, and our roads to-day are no
better than they were twenty and thir-
ty years ago. A radical improvement
in the system itself must be made.
"The League of American Wheelmen
has been the subject of much criticism
on account of it's agitation for better
highways. We have been accused of
selfishness in the matter. 1t is believed
by many that we wheelmen expect
farmers to load. themselves up with
taxes to build roads for the convenience
Of bicycle riders. No greater mistake
could be made. We of the League of
American Wheelmen who are engaged
in this agitation for better roads feel
that the farmer to-day bears his full
share of public taxation. We feel that
a mistake has been made in the past in
expecting farmers alone to pay for
building roads and in leaving
the entire responsibility for our
roads in their hands. 1t is
claimed that in the State of New York
every farmer is obliged to build roads
for eight persons out of the State popu-
lation. Why should not the other sew
en- contribute to their cost? While good
roads would save the farmers immense
amounts in hauling products, this saw
ing would indirectly benefit the whole
population Neither is the farmer the
only one who travels the country high
ways. Country merchants, doctors and
professional mer. peddlers, pleasure
seekers and, last but not least, the
wheelmeE, would be directly benefited
by good roads. 1t is unjust, therefore.
that the farmers should pay for build
ing these roads. am glad of an oppor-
tunity to say to gathering of farmers
that the League of American Wheel
men proposes to help them in bringing
about proper division of the cost of
good roads.
s'The League of American Wheelmen
believes that many of our country
roads should be built by State aid that
a part of the cost of good roads should
be paid out of the State tax, which
would be levied upon all property and
all classes of people alike, so that every
taxpayer should contribute a proper
tionate amount, according to the
amount of property he owns. We pro-
pose that the States shall help to build
roads and divide their total cost be-
tween the people of the locality who are
most directly benefited. the adjoining
property-owners whose land rises in
value as a result of the improvement,
and the State as representing the en-
tire population. This las been adopted
in practice with great success in New
Jersey, in Connecticut, in Rhode Island,
in Pennsylvania, and, in modified
form, In Massachusetts. New Jersey
has become famous for the fine roads
she has built. These We're constructed
by 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 its part. The country
districts in New Jersey are overwhelm-
ing the State authorities with petitions
to assist in the improvement of local
roads, and the Legislature cannot ap-
propriate funds for the purpose suf-
ficient to meet the demands from the
farmers