Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1902-09-13
NEED or GOOD ROADS.

The general public Is now very
largely in favor of good roads, if
they can be obtained by some method
of taxation that will be just and
equitable. This country has been
raising millions of dollars road tax
es and spreading it over highways
so thin that there has been no per-
ceptible improvement for century,
except in few States. Proper leg
islation has proven the one thing
needtul to take the stream of wasted
taxes and turn it into hard, smooth,
permanent highways; hence, as l
said in the beginning, proper legisla-
tion is now the most important divis-
ion of the road problem.
STATE LAws.--Long before any other
State, in 1891, New Jersey passed a
most comprehensive, successful and
just road law. Its principles have
been copied by most OF the States
having any pretension TO system of
progressive, permanent road build
ing. In brief, the Massachusetts law
provides for three high way commits
sioners who have full charge OF
spending the road funds. A COM
munity desiring to improve it's roads
petitions the authorities, who refer
it to the State engineer, who ex-
amines it and reports to the commits
hot hi q
to build or not. The commissioners
proceed according to this report, as
far as they have funds, in the order
of date OF petitions. The State pays
the entire cost. Massac chusetts has
spent an average OF 100000 a year
for several years in building per-
manent highways. The law also
provides that only limited number
of miles can be built III any county
during the year.
Connecticut has also been active in
permanent road building OF late, ap-
propriating from 100000 to $500,
each year. In that State the town
y
Rhode Island has a law that gives
the highway commissioners the pow
er to build in each town IA halt mile
of sample permanent road, but has
no other State aid.
California has highway commits
sioners, the result OF a strong effort
about ten years ago to formulate a
good road law. These commissioners
are allowed no funds except $4,000 a
year to detray expenses. Their work
is entirely Instructive.
Indiana has law which is accom-
plishing a good work. 1t provides
that, Oh petition, the commissioners
may order an election to determine
whether a new road shall be built
and the county can issue bonds or
levy special tax to pay for it. Min
nesota has a law similar to Indiana.
The New York Legislation is near
er like that of New Jersey than any
of the other States. While the New
York Legislature was discussing
this subject, they appointed them
selves committee of the whole and
visited the good roads OF New Jer-
sey to inspect them and view the
working of the first State aid road
law. Outside of the aforementioned
States, Legislation has done little Tor
the betterment OF our roads. In a
number of States, including Calitor-
MIA, there are laws providing tor the
use OF convict labor Tor improving
roads or crushing stone for them.
THK New JERsEY LAw.-The sum-
mary of the New Jersey law is as
follows; Upon petition of two-thirds
of the properties on a public high
way at least a mile long, the county
board shall proceed to construct such
road, after having advertised for
bids, upon specifications approved
by the State authorities, provided
that III one year the amount shall
not exceed "a of per cent. OF the tax
levied for that year-the cost to be