The suburban citizen., 1900-07-28
666d Roads R6t5s
who SHAH Pay For Thom ?

have so few good roads
in the United States is
that we have left it to
the farmers alone to build them. This
is wrong 1t is absolutely impossible
for the farmers alone to provide n
system Of good roads. The cost is al
together too great, and unless substan-
tial help is furnished them, upon some
reasonable basis, progress in road
building viii continue to be slow and
unsatisfactory" says Otto Dornere
Chairman of the L. A. w. Highway
Improvement Committee
"The help which the farmers re,
quire in building roads should come,
from the cities. The cities are the
great centres of wealth; they are the
great markets in which business s
done-the great distributing points for
manufactures and for agricultural
products. Agricultural America has
built them up and maintains them.
The union between the cities and
farming districts is close, upon hun
dred different channels of trade. Zach,
depends upon the other What is
more proper, therefore, than that the
city should unite with the country in
constructing and maintaining suitable
and efficient means Of communication
and transportation?
"There need be no doubt that the
taxpayers Of most American cities are
willing nd ready to contribute to the
cost of building country roads Their
necessity is as Thoroughly realized in
the cities as it is by the farmers who
become stalled on 4 muddy road with
a load Of grain hauled half way to
market. City people know the coun-
try better than they have ever known
it before, and their business relations
with country people are growing more
and more intimate. They are quick to-
see the convenience and savings which
would result from the construction ot
good roads, and know that they them
selves would be, in large measure, the
gamers.
But how can tax be levied upon
city property for expenditure in coun-
try districts for road building pur-
poses? A city tax is out Of the ques-
ton, as much so as it would be to levy
a town tax upon farm property for
building sewers in a distant city.
True, a county tax might be levied,
a large share of which would be paid
by the cities situated in the county,
and which might be used for the build
ing of roads in any locality within
the county. But this is not sufficient,
especially in the case Of large cities
like Chicago New York, Cincinnati,
ST. Louis, Minneapolis and Baltimore.
Their interests extend far beyond the
counties in which they are situated;
indeed, the cities themselves cOnsti-
tute the greater part, or nearly all, OF
the tax-payng property included in
these counties. They may properly
contribute to the cost Of building
roads in all the territory from which
they draw their trade.
THE best method yet devised for
levying taxes upon city property for
the purpose Of building country roads
is by the medium of a State tax. This
is levied upon city and country prop
erty alike, upon all classes of people,,
so that every locality, every taxpayer,
contributes proportionately, according
to the amount Of property owned, the
wealthy property owners contributing
the largest amounts.
Massachusetts,, New Jersey, New
York and Connecticut are probably
the States which have made the great
est progress in country road building.
They have all levied State highway
taxes, and have built roads by sys-
tenn of State aid. While the rate Of
taxation has been low, the amount
collected has been considerable. In
New York $4,000 were collected by q
State tax Of one and one-tenth cents
upon every thousand dollars assessed
valuation, and four-ffths Of the whole
amount was collected in the cities
where most of the property in the
State is situated.
"The State aid system does not in
terfere in any way with present meth
DDS Of road building, but simply pro-
vides a means by which an enterpris-
ing country community, desiring to
possess frst-class highways, may OBJ
tain financial assistance for the pur-
pose from the cities. The State does
not pay for building such roads, but
simply contributes to their expense,
just as it contributes to the cost Of
maintaining public schools, which are
conducted by the local school officials,
but which, to receive such State as
sistance, must be up to n certain
standard"