The evening times., 1898-12-27
INDORSED THE GOOD
ROADS MOVEMENT
FARMERS NATIONAL CONGRESS-
Resolutions Passed Marking Sig
nal Success for the League of
American Wheeimen.

Resolutions Passed Marking Sig
nal Success for the League of
American Wheeimen.
The Farmers National Congress, which
has just closed it's annual session at Fort
Worth, Tex, has adopted resolutions
strongly indorsing the system of State a.d
to road building, and commencing the ef-
forts of the League of American Wheel
men for its general introduction.
The adoption of these resolut ons marks
a signal success for the highway improve
ment committee of the League of Ameri-
can Wheelmen. 1t means that the farmers,
who have so long looked with doubts and
misgivings upon the goods roads work of
the League of American Wheelmen, are
beginning to understand that this
work is in their own interest. and that,
by working in harmony with the League
they can bring about the construction Of
durable highways without being obliged to
bear all the expense, as they have ,ong
supposed they would have to do. The
Higbie- Armstrong law, by which State aid
has been introduced in New York, pro-
construction between the state, the coun-
ty and the local township Many of the
towns availing themselves of its adva l.
tageS Will secure an amount of money
from outside sources equal TO four or five
times that which they raise thense VS.,
most of these funds coming from the cit
les. where the tax levied to raise it is o2ly
single cent on the thousand dollars OF
the assessed valuation.
Ever since the League of American
| Wheelmen was organized, In $780, 1t has
been working for better roads, but never
have its efforts been indorsed or COM
| mended in terms by farmer organiza-
ton The Farmers National Congress
consists of about four hundred and fifty
delegates. representing nearly every State.
1t is the strongest agricultural body in the
United States, q thoroughly representative
body of wide-awake, up-to-daJe, although
conservative, farmers, and was declared
by William H. Hatch for many years
chairman of the House Committee on Ag
riculture. to have great influence with
Congress. Its Endorsement of State aid to
roads, and the League work, will have much
weight with the legislatures, and with
farmers generally. 1t marks the turning
point in the good roads work of the
League, and opens the way for united ac
tion between its members and the farm
ers OF the United States. The book which
the League Is now circulating, entitled
Must the Farmer Pay for Good Roads ?"
and expounding the State aid system, will
90 much to help on this work.
The adoption of these resolutions by the
Farmers National Congress is the result
Of the efforts of Otto Dorner. chairman of
the highway Improvement committee of
the League of American Wheelmen. He
has attended the sessions of the Congress
for three consecutive years. In Noyem-
Der. 1896. al Indianapolis, and again in
September, 1897, at st. Paul, Mr.. Dorner
addressed the Congress upon State aid to
roads and the work of the League OF
American Wheelmen, and made many
friends of the league He attended the
Congress at Fort Worth at the delegate
from the league. His farmer friends, who
were delegates from Wisconsin, selected
him to represent that State on the COM
mittee On resolutions This committee
elected him its secretary, and adopted the
good roads resolution he presented by a
vote of % TO 2. The resolutions in full
are as follows:
Resolved, That the best interests Of American
agriculture demand the construction OF first
class roads connecting farms with market towns:
That the cos, OF their construction is too con-
siderable 10 be borne by farm property alone;
That, the entire population is interested in
and benefited. directly and indirectly. by good
roads, all property ought to contribute 10 the
cost of their construction, through the medium
OF State tax;
That we indorse the system of State aid 10
roads, because ii appears to solve the good roads
problem in the farmers interest il largely de-
creases the cost OF road construction to COM
munties, provides the means by which the large
city taxpayers and corporations owning valuable
franchises from the State are made 10 share in
the expense. and properly leaves it optional with
farming districts to avail themselves of its pro-
visions not. they mas choose;
That we believe the State aid system suitable
10 most States in the Union, and commend the
efforts OF the National Road Parliament. the
League Of american Wheelmen and the Govern
ment Office of Road Inquiry 10 make this system
of road construction generally known and under
stood, and to bring about its general adoption.