The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1897-03-18
A LESSON FROM SWITZERLAND
How the Best Public Highways Are Build
at Small Cost.

at Small Cost.
Switzerland is reported as possessing
the very best highways in the world.
Size is by no means wealthy country,
but her people are thrifty and econom-
ical. Her form of government is con-
sidered by many to be farther in advance
in matters of public economy than any
other country on the globe, and the
administration of her public affairs is
conducted with the same thrift, the
same intelligence, the same care and
the same economy which distinguishes
her citizens. 1t is generally supposed
that the Swiss people have had hun
dreds of years in which to build their
| highways, but the fact is that, up to the
present century, no serious effort at
road building was made in that country.
The United States Consul at Horgen,
| Lyle T. Adams, in his official report,
explains that the first great construction
of highways was begun in the time of
Napoleon, originating with system of
mountain roads and gradually develop
ing, by 1890, into network of stone
roads which covered all the country.
The lesson taught by the roads of
highways may be built without great
expense. without overlooking the
country with debt, and without burden
ing the citizens with excessive tax
Country highways in Switzerland have
not been leftsto petty local authorities
distributed over the land but have
largely been placed in the hands of a
central authority. Road building is
conducted by men who have made a
scientific study Of civil engineering, and
its economical and financial side is
looked after by men who are experts in
that field. Geo. L. Catlin, the United
States Consul at Zurich has said: " 1t
may with safety be stated that in no
country in the world is the construction
of public highways carried out with
more scientific skill and thoroughness
than in Switzerland. The public high
ways of the canton Of Zurich are models
in every respect
Let us make comparison between
Swiss highways and those of our own
republic. There we find the construc-
ton and maintenance of roads in the
hands of the cantons, and the work in
charge of professional engineers. In
our own country, roads are built almost
entirely by the local town authorities.
! This system has become so rooted in
our country that most farmers really
have no conception of road tax than
local town tax which they must pay.
In most of the states in this country
one half or more of the state taxes are
paid by the large cities, and just as
soon as the farmer realizes that one
| half or more of state road tax would
be paid by the cities, he will be enthu-
siastically in favor of state road taxes.
People in the cities want good country
roads, for the sake of their indirect
benefits to them, and will gladly aid in
their construction. The aims of the
National League for Good Roads, and
the League of American Wheelmen, in
their efforts for better highways, is to
relieve the farmer of the responsibility
and the expense of looking after cOun-
try roads, to place their construction
upon a scientific and economical basis,
and to charge their cost to the entire
population, under a system OF finance
which will not be burden and will be
fair to all concerned. Much progress
has been made in this direction in the
Eastern states, through the combined
efforts of farmers and wheelmen, aided
by the good roads organizations. The
Department of Agriculture at Wash
ington has done much to encourage the
change, and has published numerous
bulletins upon the subject.
OTTO DORNER.