The herald., 1897-07-31
GOOD COUNTRY ROADS
DISCUSSED BEFORE ILLINOIS
CHAUTAUQUANS
The L. A. w. Improvement Commit.
tee Chairman Outlines Plans
for Highway Betterment

DIXON, H., July 3O.-At the Rock
River Chautauqua this afternoon Mr..
Otto Dorner of Milwaukee. chairman of
the improvement committee of the
League of American Wheelmen, de-
livered an interesting address on How
Shall We Obtain Better Roads?" He
said, in part:
The great question before us is how
shall we obtain better country high
ways. The question is not. Do we
need good roads? but How shall we
get them? 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 authorities
as rule have no knowledge of the science
Of road building and fifty years of expert
ence has shown great deal of labor vast
ed and vast amounts of road taxes collect
ed in vain. In many places our roads to-
day are no better than they were twenty
or thirty years ago. A radical improve
ment in the system itself must be made.
The League of American Whee1men has
been the subject of much criticism on ac-
count of its agitation for better highways.
We have been accused of selfshness in
the matter 1t is believed by many that
wheelmen expect farmers to load them
Selves up Will TAXES that lIley illS puit
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 today the farmer bears his
full share of public taxation and that it
should not be unnecessarily added to. We
feel that a mistake has beer made in the
past in expecting farmers alone to pay
for Abe roads and in leaving the entire
Irnc itxy for n tn hGfr a
The farmers of the United States are but
a fraction of our population and they are
by no means the only ones who will profit
by the construction 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 popu-
lation. Why should not the other seven
contribute to their cost? While good roads
would save the farmers immense amounts
of money in hauling products, this saving
would indirectly benefit the whole popula-
ton Neither is the farmer the only one
who travels the country highways. Coun-.
try merchants, doctors and professional
men, would be directly benefited by good
seekers and last, but not least, the wheel
men would be directly benefited by good
roads 1t is unjust, therefore, that the
farmers should pay for building these
roads.
L am glad of an opportunity to say to a
gathering of farmers that the l.. A. w.
proposes to help them in bringing about
proper division of the cost of good roads,
so that city people, the capitalist, mer-
chants and manufacturers, the wealthy
corporations, railroads insurance and ele-
phone companies; in fact every class of
people, shall contribute to the cost of build :
ing them that a part of the cost of good
roads should be paid out of the state tax
according to the amount of property tax
payer owns. We propose that the states
shall help to build and divide the total
cost between the people of the country
who are most directly interested. This is
not a theory only, but has been admitted
in practice with great success in New Jer
sey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Penn
sylvania and Massachusetts.
New Jersey farmers are enthusiastic over
this State aid system and the towns and
counties are glad to pay their share of the
cost of these roads as long as the State
pays its part.
The Farmers National Congress has
passed resolutions in favor of State aids,
and Mr.. John M. Stahl, the able and ener-
getic secretary of that organization, is one
of its warmest advocates.
All classes are beginning to realize the
great economic Importance of permanent
highways. Farmers feel that they have
too long been compelled to build and i'm
prove roads at their own expense and that
they are entitled to state support in this
great necessary public Improvement Upon
these lines and upon these lines alone the
good roads movement is bound to succeed.