The sun., 1900-12-26
GOOD ROADS.

hOitu SupCAfioNto VI OAiNtNe ~S'' - \
acting under the good roads law of that
State, have proposed that the State Legis-
lature appropriate $500,O00 to be added
to an equal sum contributed by the coun-
ty for a general road Improvement
scheme. This looks like practical work
in very important branch of the public |
service. Good roads are needed every |
where, and as badly in Delaware as
lanywhere else. Under the present
scheme there is no such thing as good
road building i'll this State. The road
work is ''mending the roads," The eff
fort is to repair the damage which time
and wear has done, and in no case, SO far
as we now know, is road Improvement
of permanent character attempted.
Still we hear constant complaint about
the difficulty Of getting crops to market,
and about the general bad character OF
transportation facilities in the State. we
: are inclined to think that road improve
= ment is one of the places in the public
service where State benefits to the far
IS mers of the State can be made more
8 direct than anywhere else. 1t is also a
Il point in the public administration which
/ must be considered, if the waste of the
. present slipshod methods are permanent
> ly bettered.
"a Commenting upon the action Of the
e Oneida county officials the New York
ie Tribune gives some interesting statistics
y of roadbuilding in several of the States
We 1t says:
he On one point we cannot altogether
We agree with the Oneida County Super
a visors. They estimate the cost OF build
ing macadam roads at $4,000 the mile, 81
- that the $1,O0O,000 which they ask fol
= would be sufficient for only some IL
on miles of road. Their estimate of COS
4, is. we believe, too high. 1t is true tina
the cost of road building is increasing
oi But it has not yet reached $4,000 mile
on Last year the average cost i'll New JeI
as sey was only about $4,000 mile, 10
,b which price roads We're built as well u
Il, anybody could wish them to be- Thl
ga year the cost has risen to an average Q
SIS, 1884 a mile for first class stone roads
Id Now there is no good reason why Tn
la cost in New York should be any higher
L
ne well distributed about the State, an
n, ample means of transportation, and til
to average cost of grading need be no MOI
is here than in New Jersey. The propose
fund ought, therefore, to give this Stat
~ within a year, some 175 miles OF goo
hat roads. That, of course, is only tin
his traction of the roads that need improv
,es | ing. Oneida county alone has 230 mill
Of main travelled road" But a co
io slant policy OF building It's miles a We;
oc- would within the next generation gi'
ks. the State pretty good skeleton syste
ood of improved highways. But what lis
.s prevent building ut u far more rap
rate?
ass Considering the limited territory of Il
en'' State, the plan outlined appears practic
here. OF course it is a question of mo
iey. But how could money be bett
spent than in permanently improving t
'."D roads? The building of 25 miles Of go
roads each year would give this Sta
- good road system inside of Is years,
NV half as long as is estimated for
larger States.
The idea is a good one, and the he
:, of some such system in this State
pressing. Ii we remember Alright t
question of good roads was an issue
the recent state campaign. Its disc
sion at the coming session of the Les
lature will be apropos.