Omaha daily bee., 1898-02-10

way for them to do this IS through a
state tax. Hence a state tax is Just. ~
NOT Be re pesseG When enes msd
fact; the benefits Of eo9d roads gre so
marks msISfsd Snd We, gnders,ood ste BY city
AS the tax would fall on corporations and
other large holders of wealth a very modest
rate would produce enough tax to be eTec-
/ tive aid Emulation and q sense OF justice
would lead farmers and others to back up
a state tax with sufficient county and
local tax.
A state tax would be wisely expended and
of the local tax; a state tax would take
road making out of the hands of incom-
petent petty officials having local jurisdic-
tion only, for the corporations and bus-
ness men and also the farmers would de-
mand that state, tax, and therefore the
petent road officials, skilled engineers and
others specially fitted for road making.
The roads would be made really good and
quainted with quick repair" Hence state
aid carries with 1t sufficient funds, II
expended economically, intelligently and
1t may be said also. that state aid is
necessary means. In many localities the
cost of good roads would be really more
not few localities, where read improve
ments would be the most costly. the land
Is far from being the most productive, and
the farmers are not rich; yet the improve
ment of the roads in these localities would
benefit town people a hundred miles away,
and the Improvement of these roads. Is
necessary TO the full benefit from road i'm
provement In adjoining localities.
He was followed by Otto Dorner OF Mil
waukee, chairman of the national committee
on highway improvement, who, In respond
ing to his toast, spoke of the progress made
in the work of his committee. He said:
Farmers have been skeptical about the
good roads agitation conducted by the
League of American Wheelmen, and with
reason. The farmers constitute but a frac-
tion of the population yet they have had 10
struggled along at the roads doing the best
they could in their own peculiar way. and
when city people and wheemen began to
contend that country roads should be radically
improved, farmers have very naturally been
led to believe that their burden of respon-
sibility was to be increased, and that their
road taxes were to be multiplied, while the
extent and character of the proposed I'M
provements were to be dictated to them.
They have felt 1T unjust that they alone
should be expected to gridiron the United
States with stone roads at their own eX-
been heavily subsidized, while rivers have
been made navigabe by the government
and while untod millions have been show
cred upon railroads by cities villages, coun.
ties states and the nation. in stock and
bond subscriptions, cash donations and
! grants of boundless tracts of public lands
This sense of injustice has been at the root
of the farmers skepticism of the good roads
But it is not the purpose of the League
| of American Wheelmen to have the farmer
| bear the cost of road Improvement and tc
| take its control out of the farmers hands
We believe that the farmer should have .
great deal, yes, nearly everything, to say
upon the subject We believe that the cities
should stand their share of the cost of .goot
roads This is the purpose of our efforts
for state aid our aim is to see liberia
| share of the expense paid out of the state
| tax IL large part of which would be patC
| by the large corporations and wealthy cap
| talists, all of whom will be benefited by gooC
roads. Doth directly and indirectly. Proper
| supervision should be established to preven
| dollar spent must be made to produce
| dollars worth of Improvement. The roads
| first to be improved are those leading from
the farm to the market and the railway
| stations the roads over which the farmel
| hauls his produce, and by the improvement
| of which millions upon millions of dollars
can be saved him each year. This must no
be forced upon him; the farmer himself mus
| be given the initiative, and must determine
| what improvements shall be made. Laws fo
road Improvement must be permssive II
| their nature, not mandatory. This is tn!
system of state aid which is so popular will
| New Jersey farmers, and which 1t IS oul
| policy to introduce in other states.
Far from intending to antagonize tn
| farmer. we are endeaVorng to help MN
| We want to help him get out of the mud
| and want to help him to avoid shoulderlnt
| an unjust burden of taxes In getting out
Any policy of road improy,ement NV which ncii u
| We do not propose to see roads built at thu
| farmers expense for the benefit OF the cities
| or of the wheelmen, and any man or bod!
| of men seeking to establish such policy
| whether they be real estate companies blcy
| Gle clubs, or any others, Will find US IN oppo
| stion standing shoulder to shoulder with th'
| farmers our aims and purposes are nov
| coming to be better understood. The pas
| year has shown the agricultural societle:
and farmers institutes seconding the Worf
| of the league in the Legislatures OF eight dif
ferent states The Farmers National con
gress and other agricultural bodies, have
passed resolutions commencing our good
roads work. The movement for state aid
has become familiar to them in their discus
sions. and has won their hearty approval
Another year or two will see the passage OF
state aid laws in many states in response 10
the united demand of the League of Amer
lean Wheelmen and the farmer organiza-
tions.
Robert McMath, president Of the St Louis
Board of Public Improvement, spoke on
Street Improvement in st. Louis" The
League of American Wheelmen Crusade for
Good Roads" was the toast responded to by
President Isaac B. Potter Of New York.
1t was after midnight when the concluding
toast, Good Roads and Farmers 1nsti-
tutes" was spoken by Prof. John Hamilton
of Harrisburg, Pa.