Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-02-19

WheeImerf Will Back Up Hon. Mar
tin Dodge in His Efforts for
Good Roads.

OIlO DlODtl iAOhs Nhtti tah
Dodge, of Cleveland, o., in letter to
friend says in part:
81 will refer, first of all, to what |
consider an unnecessary and unjust
discriminating in the matter of aid
heretofore given to the different means
of transportation. The United States
government contributes annually mil
lions of dollars for the improvement of
rivers and harbors, and to deepen the
water communication between the
great lakes, which has resulted in Civ
ing an exceedingly low rate OF trans
portation by steamships on deep wat
er. The United States government
has also given millions of acres of land
and millions of dollars of credit to the
Western railroads, which has cheap
ened the cost of transportation on the
steam cars for long distances to an eX-
ceedingly low point. And the state of
Ohio also contributed the public mon
ey to construct the canal system of the
state. Burt nothing is given, either by
the state or the United States Govern
ment toward the construction of the
common highways.
"As a result, the cost OF transporta-
tion remains exceedingly high upon
these common ways. l beI.eve the time
has come when state aid should be
given to improve our highways, for
two reasons: One is to do away with
the unjust discrimination to which
have referred, and the other is that
the difficulties to be overcome in the
Improvement of the country highways
are so great that they cannot be over
come by the local communities SO as
to bring about the desired result. The
day of small things has passed away
and the improved road can no longer
be produced economically with do
nestle labor and domestic material
near the spot where the want is felt
any more than the bridges over the
streams can be produced l remember
the time when all bridges through
out thecountdy were produced by do
nestle labor applied to domestic ma
terial, at or very near the spot where
The bridge was wanted, but now the
improvements in bridge building are
such that no one thinks of producing
bridges in the primitive way that for
merly prevailed. A similar change is
about to take place in reference to the
construction of improved highways.
Therefore, | favor the state aid as a
proper and necessary thing to build up
and adapt our highways to the new
uses that are opening up before the
people. Accordingly, had the honor
to introduce, about a year ago, in the
=, ate Senate, the first bill ever intro
duced in Ohio for state aid to road
building, and | am pleased to say that
che bill passed the Senate after a num-
ber of weeks of hard work on my part
and those who aided me on the part of
the l.. "a. w. | believe the bill would
have become law had it not been for
The fact that several of the gentlemen
who expected to explain the provisions
of the bill to the House of Representa-
tives were prevented from so doing,
either by illness or unexpected circum-
stances which prevented their appear
ance at he proper time. 1t is a matter
of regret that the bill could not have
been passed at the last session of the
Legislature, and l have no doubt that
it will be passed at the next session,
if the l.. A. w. will unite their efforts,
as suggested by Mr. Charles w. Mears,
Chief Consul, according to the letter
published in your paper, clipping of
which you enclose to me.
In reference to the part taken by
the l. "A. w. by the tidal wave of road
Improvements throughout America,
will say that | have no doubt that the
main strength of the movement has
been derived from the zeal and knowl-
edge of the league, and l certainly
hope it will continue the good work,
in which / will be pleased to most
heartily join, and am willing to say
at his time that should | be a member
OF the next General Assembly, /
should consider it one my highest du-
ties to introduce and press to passage
another bill similar to the one | in
troduced in the Senate last year, and
which, as | said before, passed that
body.
The following is a list of cities and
towns having ten or more members of
the l.. A. w. on February /, 1893:
Cincinnati 423, Cleveland $50, Toledo
l6O, Canton 127, Columbus 1l3, Dayton
~, Stuebenville 7O,Marietta 60, Spring
neld 67, Chillicothe 63, Akron 4G, Ere
mont AZ, Fostoria AZ, Portsmouth IL,
Xenia 40, Mansfield 30, GAINESVILLE 2S,
Gallipolis 26, London "a, Norwalk q,
Tlffin q, Bucyrus 81, Ironton 18, Lima
II, Alliance II, ConneaL 16, Oberlin 16
Warren Is, Sandusky Is, Salem Is,