Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-03-12
THE GOOD ROADS QUESTION.

Missouri has tackled Inc nlgnWay
problem According to an exchange,
a Goods Roads and Public Improve
ments Association has been formed.
1t will hold county conventions and
effect local organizations in order to be
ready for concerted action at the an
nual State convention to be held IN st,
Louis next fail At that convention
plan will be perfected by which it IS
hoped systematic legislation can be
secured from the next State Assembly
Missouri certainly needs good roads.
1t has very few and trade is suspended
for nearly five months every year on
account of the mud. It is estimated
that if $4,000 miles of turn pixies could
be constructed the value of the 10000
OOO acres of farm lands now under Gull
tivation would at once advance S2OO,-
100000 to s40O,0O0,0 900 The people
are now spending about S3.0"0,000 an
nuallv on their roads, but the results
are so unsatisfactory that the reform
ers wish to put the matter under State
supervision and for that reason Will
demand a State aid law which has
proved so popular in New Jersey.
Under the circumstances it looks as
though the Missourians ought to
achieve something practicable. MI
w H. Moore, who reviews the sltua-
ton in a magazine article. is, however,
not very hopeful. He says that the
farmers object, doing everything IN
their power to defeat good legislation
that will increase State or local taxa
ton. He says agitators visit the
farmers and tell them they are paying
out too much in taxes now, ard that
if railroads and other corporations
would bear their just share of the bur-
dens the roads could be had without
extra cost.
1t must be admitted that farmers
stand in their own light in this matter
This is not Characteristic of Missouri
alone, but of other States which suf-
fer from bad roads. Even in New
York the Legislature has SO far, we be-
lieve. refused to do anything why
it has not is thus explained in the fol-
lowing dispatch from Albany to the
New York Evening Post:
The country is still against the city
on the question of good roads. After az
the efforts of highway improvement 80
cieties. it appeared. at the PICTURESQUE
| hearing this afternoon on the Armstrong
Higbee bill. that they have not YET naue
the farmer see that what they zen ,e MN
is so and not otherwise. If their propa-
ganda has taught him something more
than he knew of the value OF haiu
smooth Wel-graded highways, II mas nov
relieved him Of his set and CYNICAL sus-
picion that if the city men recommend d
thing to him and offer TO help pay TOT y
there must be more in il for the city imam
MANY farmers from many counties
came to the hearing to prolest "s sIlnw
county Supervisors to receive State ana
if they want 10 improve a piece OF ROAD
moi over mile in length outside OF the
boundaries of cities and incorporated VII
Lagos. They were in jeans and blue nan
nei shirts and WOODEN tppets, ana With
their roughened, weather Drowned Iaces
wrre in contrast with The men from New
York. Buffalo and Rochester represent
ing cyclists and similar interests. For
their hettcr understanding of the bill Mr..
Armstrong was asked TO explain what
il intended.
| The COST in tax on each farm Of an as
sessed valuation Of sl.0o0 would he at
| first only one cent a year, and never more
| than ten cents year on each Sl,Om farm.
| because the cities would bear IS per cent.
of the burden.
| But you don tell us what you mean
| by this scheme, objected one of the
| farmers
1T means. replied Mr.. Armstrong.
| that | drive in my carriage over the road
| YOU and your ncighbors have spent a
! great deal of time and labor upon. and |
| saw to YOU 'tHere, i wish a better road
than this, and am willing to pay eighty