Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-08-19

Known as the Apostle of Good Roads)
made We of the League of American
Wheelmen who are engaged in this agi-
tation for better roads feel that the
farmer to-day bears his full share of
public taxes, and that they should not
be unnecessarily added to. 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. The farmers of the United
States are but a fraction of our pOpu-
lation, and they are by no means the
only ones who will profit by the con-
struction of good roads. 1t is claimed
that in the state of New York every
farmer is obliged to build roads for
eight persons out of the state popula-
ton. Why should not the other seven
contribute to their cost?
While good roads would save the
farmers immense amounts in hauling
products, this saving would indirectly
benefit the whole population. Neither
is the farmer the only one who travels
the country highways. Country mer-
chants, doctors and professional men,
peddlers, pleasure seekers, and last but
not least the whcelmen, would be direct
Iy benefited by good roads. 1t is I'M
just, therefore, that the farmer alone
should pay for building these roads.
L am glad of an opportunity to say
to a gathering of farmers that the
League of American Wheelmen pro-
poses to help them in bringing about
a proper division of the cost of good
vnn6o hot tho nifxy ha
italists, merchants and manufacturers,
the wealthy corporations, railroad, in
surance and telephone companies; in
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 a 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 that
the states shall help to build roads,
and to divide their total cost between
the people of the locality, who are most
directly benefited, and 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 is not Utopian
plan; it is not theory only, but has
been adopted in practice with great
success in New Jersey, in Connecticut,
in Rhode Island and, in a modified form,
in Massachusetts,. New Jersey has be-
come famous for the fine roads she has
built. These were constructed by a
state aid system under which their
cost is divided about as I 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
its part. The country districts in New
Jersey are overwhelming the state au-
thorities with petitions to assist in the
improvement of local roads, and the
legislature cannot appropriate funds
for the purpose sufficient to meet the
demands from the farmers. The New
Jersey 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 road-building 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
and in Wisconsin, the League of Amer
lean Wheelmen and the farmers or