The Saint Paul globe., 1897-04-11
CYCLISTS ARE A POWER.
Railroads and Legislatures BOwing
to Their Will

Cyclists now seem to be the most in
| fIuential class of people in the world
Legislation in favor of road improve
ment has been successfully promoted
in many of the states, and the free
transportation of cycles as personal
baggage by railroads has been largely
| secured, either through influence
brought to bear upon railroad man
ayers and traffic associations, or by the
enactment of laws making such trans
| pCrtation compulsory. For improved
reads Massachusetts expended $500 600
in 1895, 5000, 900 in 1896 and will prob
ably spend $S00,000 during the year 1897.
The conyicts are at work upon the pub
lie roads of North Carolina. and are
doing excellent work at small cost. The
national government has shown its in
terest in the good roads question by
issuing bulletin from the agricultural
department, showing that muddy high
ways effect an annual loss to the Unit
ed States of $3.50 900, 600
The necessity for better roads is uni
versally admitted, and the question has
become to be one of finance The road
tax has been doing its work ever since
civilization taught mankind how to
use the shovel and hoe. But the road
tax has not made much headway in
making permanent roads. Put a few
millions a year into improving the
thCroughfareS Of a state and in ten
years there would not be a mile of
highway legally laid out in that state
but would be converted into a perma-
nent stone road This amount would
not be a material increase of taxation
III many Of the states when considered
in connection with the direct loss sus-
tanned in the hauling of farm produce
through the mud. There are times
when the demoralized condition of the
business of this country may be traced
directly to bad roads Stringencv in
the money market may be attributed as
often to bad roads as to any other
cause. Hard times, dull times. labor.
unemployed, fuctuating prices. reduced
railroad earnings, are often the results
of bad roads. There are certainly argu-
ments sufficient in number and force 10
show the benefit of good roads to every
class of people, and cyclists are keeping
up an agitation of the subject which
seems to be irresistible.
The agitation of the bicycle baggage
question is equally systematic and even
more successful. The chairman Of the
transportation committee of the League
of American Wheelmen is B. B. Ayers.
of Chicago, formerly a railroad traffic
agent, who seems to know how to make
the wants of wheelmen known to the
different railroads and % have the cour-
age of his convictions. Recently Mr..
Ayers was in communication with the
pennsylvania Railroad company. which
had made application for TRANSPORTING o
the league members from the West to
the national meet at Philadelphia dur
ing the first week in August. Mr..
Ayers informed the company that its
Eastern division was one of the bitter
est foes Of the league. compelling
Wheelmen to pay for the transportation
OF their wheels and opposing the pas
sage of the wheelmen's baggage bill in
New Jersey, and that only under one
condition would he consider the request
namely, that the company instruct
the employees of the Eastern division
to carry bicycles free Of charge as bag
| gage, not only in New Jersey, but all
| along its line.