The Advocate and news., 1898-11-09
HOW TO SECURE GOOD ROADS.
A Leading Railroad officer Suggests That They
be Built by tie National Government

identified with the development OF the
South, has in the Southern Farm Mag
azine, Of Baltimore, for November an in
terVieW on good roads, in which he takes
q radical position likely to attract very
general discussion and to arouse wide
spread interest among all classes and
especially among farmers. Colonel Kille-
brew says:
"The power given in the constitution
to built post roads and postofflces may be
construed so as to include all roads made
for carrying mails, and that under this
provision 1t would be proper for the ma
tiOnal government to undertake very
comprehensive system OF rOad-buildlng
The advantages Of good roads would be
OF such inestimable value to the people
at large, and especially to the great agri-
cultural interests-the foundation Of our
national wealth-that the subject de-
mands the favorable consideration Of the
whole country. The benefits resulting
from the adoption by the government OF
some general plan for building and i'm
proving roads would in every respect be
beneficial to the people and to the coun-
try. It would furnish employment to all
the idle labor Of the country, and this
labor would not be in competition with
the labor now employed in industrial and
agricultural pursuits In fact, 1t would
relieve the congestion in the labor mar
ket for some years to come and create
work that would be felt in every avenue
Of business. While employed In making
better roads this labor would benefit
every class in every community without
injuring any.
"The building Of good roads would
relieve the congestion Of population in
cities by making life in the country
more pleasant and attractive The great
est drawback to country life is the in
ability to move with ease from point to
point, owing to the muddy roads, which
are sometimes impossible for five or six
months in the year, making such life
confined and barren Of all social enjoy
ment placing the country people in many
sections at such great disadvantage
that ambition is crushed. energies are
weakened, industry paralyzed, and ig-
norance is increasing rather than dimin-
ishing-at least in some districts. This
state Of things, for which the people Of
the country districts are not responsible,
drives thousands to the cities, where
they often suffer privation and poverty
which lead them into temptation and
frequently into crime.
Good roads, wherever built, would in
crease the value of property throughout
the country. They would make the mar
kets more accessible and in every way
add to the profit as well as to the en-
ioyment of country life, and thus to the
moral and material advancement Of the
nation.
Suppose the general government
should appropriate every year an amount
equal to that now expended for pensions,
say $3.50, 900, for the building and i'm
provement of the roads of the country
This would give, in round numbers, 81
per capita for the entire population Of
the United States. A county covering,
say 500 square miles, with population
Of $4,000, would receive annually for the
building Of roads $4,000. This continued
for ten years would grade, macadamize
and gravel every road in an average
county of this area.
"Who would begrudge the expenditure
after such roads had been built? Who
would not say that the expenditure was
a wise one, elevating in it's influence and
adding immensely to the tangible wealth
Of the country? We are now paying
more than this amount on the expendi-
lures of the Spanish war Is there a sim
gle person who would not receive ben
eft from good roads far greater in
amount than he now pays in war taxes? +?
Put 1t in another way: Is there a single
person now using the highways Of the
country, or whose business is in any way
affected by the traffic on the highways Of
the country (and this touches the busi-
ness interests of every man and woman
in the United States), who would not be
willing to pay as much for good roads as
he now pays for the war with Spain?
"The revenue bill passed by the last
eacofnn ~ Conc Ournce In Ordar m rpicn