The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-12-30
Good Roads.

Farmers institute at lola Dec 16 and H. by
capt Z s. Stewart, but was not read for lack
| OF ime)
Having been requested to present
some questions to this meeting for
their consideration aud discussion,
have thought the most important
and timely question for consideration,
not only for our farmers but all our
people, is the improvement of our
country roads.
For the past forty years or more
the attention of our people has been
largely diverted from our wagon
roads to the building OF vast systems
of railroads aud the energy and cap
ltal of the county has been used
almost to the utmost limit The re-
suit in railroad building has been
grand. and looking over the maps of
our country today, and especially OF
Kansas, it does seem there Is but
little more needed in the railroad
line; hut in all this time our wagon
roads have been sadly neglected.
One of the best governors Kansas
has had, the late Hon. John A. Mar
tin, in his message to the legislature
August ID, 1885, used the following
language: "Our road laws need
thorough revision. Better highways
are necessary and some system
should be devised under which it
will be possible to secure thom. The
present system of making and inn
proving country roads is not only
wasteful and unjust in its operation,
but unsatisfactory In its result. 1t
is system of patching between
rains 1t employs host of officers,
generally inexperienced and careless
and often incompetent to direct work
that would be much more intelli-
ed under directions of one eXper.
fenced and responsible officer Ii
calls farmers from work they under.
stand and in which they have a
direct personal interest and compels
them to engage in work they do not
understand and in which they have
only community interest. The
provisions of the road law allowing
road taxes to be worked out and de.
linquencies to be reported and placed
on the tax roll of the succeeding year
are AN anomoly in our tax proceed
ings -
Nearly fourtet ears have gone
by since that message was written
and yet our road laws stand sub
stantially the same. Much has been
written and published ON the subject
of good roads and it seems we ought
to begin to get down TO practical
results. realize the fact that peo-
Pile have got to he educated on this
suject, and while | do not propose in
this paper Ia go into the matter OF
showing why 1t would he cheaper TO
speud more money on roads and less
, for wagons, carriages and buggies
aud have roads that would allow us
To go to market at any time of the
year with double the loads we can
now take, hut in view of the near
approach of session of our legis-
lature, | want to suggest what
conceive to be the best place to start
this movement of building good
roads"
Believing as do that Il matter in.
volving 80 much expense should be
carefully considered and all possible
information obtained that would lead
to the best and most satisfactory re-
suits, | would ask the Legislature
to pass a law providing for u commits
sioner of public highways and author,
ize and direct him to visit statet
known to have advanced laws on the
road questions, and get all possible
ing of the same; the character of roads
built, cost of same, and everything
that would help us as State I,
, start right. Let him make frequent
reports giving such information al
would help us all to get proper un
derstanding OF what we really want
In making this suggestion ! am not
unmindful of the fact there is pre-
judice against providing for more of
fices and | may confess too that
share in this feeling to. Obviate this
have thought the providing for direct
ors of the penitentary might be s.
changed as that one member might b
president ofthe board and "Exfiicio
commissioner of highways max
= this suggestion believing that convic
y labor may he largely used in re 4,
= work, hence these offices would go to
= gether very well. In the matter c
u road tax | believe it should be paid i
IA cash the same ms other taxes aud tn