The suburban citizen., 1902-08-23
GOOD Cd
% RO X ID S.
Benefits of state Highways.

DOuL w nllt DSlOIt lUe Aulh-
mobile Club Of America: The
State Of New York has, in round mum.
bers, fifty thousand square miles Of
area Access is given from one part
of the State to the other by means of
highways. These average two miles Of
highway to every square mile of area,
thus uniting the distant parts of the
State by total mileage approximating
one hundred thousand miles. During
the last twenty years the number of
highways in the State has not been
increased to any large extent, and
the figures given are approximately
correct. In Governor Flowers mes.
sage to the Legislature in 1898, from
information received from nearly
every county and tabulated in his mes.
sage to the Legislature, he showed
that the highways in the State of New
York were cared for and maintained
by an assessed labor tax Of two mil.
lion days per annum during the eight
months of each year from March to
November /. This labor tax has been
expended under the direction of the
highway commissioners and overseers
in each town. A days labor during
the last twenty years has never been
worth less than 81. The highway com.
missiOners and overseers have in the
last twenty years had the expenditure
on 100000 miles of highways of the
90 CtO 900 Oan x.oI,,i,,o, n
days labor at 81 a day, and, valuing
it at S1.50 a day, they have expended
the equivalent of $60,0O0,OOO upon the
highways. Each mile of highway
throughout the entire State during the
last twenty years has been entitled to
receive on an average twenty days
labor every year for its care and main-
tenance from March l to November /,
and the above figures do not include
any additional taxes levied by thirdng
the labor tax for the purpose of caring
for the highways during the snow sea-
son of the year, or on account Of floods
or damage by the elements.
The expenditure Of this large volume
of days labor in the care of the high
ways has never caused any such criti-
clsm on the part Of the public as the
expenditure of a similar amount on the
canal has caused, neither has the tre-
mendous waste and extravaganza been
appreciated. After twenty years of
expenditure on the highways of the
equivalent of S5O,0OO,OOO, the highway
commissioners and Overseers have
nothing to show as a result of their
work, and have not Cheapened the
cost of transportation by improved
highways one cent on ton a mile.
The proposition in regard to high
ways before the State of New York is
as follows: The State Of New York, as
1 have said, has an area of approx
mately fifty thousand square miles. 1t
has, on an average, two miles Of high
ways for each one square mile of area,
which would give an approximate
mileage of highways for the State of
one hundred thousand miles. Chapter
115 Of the Laws of 1898 provides for
the improvement Of main highways
only, their cost of construction to be
paid, fifty per cent. by the State, thirty
five per cent. by the counties and If
teen per cent by the towns bene-
fited. These main highways constitute
about ten per cent. of the entire State
mileage. The State of Massachusetts
is improving ten per cent. of its high.
way mileage. The proposition in front
Of the State Of New York, therefore,
is the laying out of an intelligent plan
for the improvement of ten thousand
miles Of its highways In such a manner
as to not only constitute main high.
ways Of travel through the State, but
to so develop easy access to the 21,0G1,-
562 acres of farm land as to enable the
farm owners to bring such part of their
twelve million tons Of annual farm
products which they raise directly to
the canals or to the railroads. in order
to reach their markets.
The commercial supremacy of New
York depends upon its being able to
maintain the cheapest rate of trans
portatlon across the continent, and at
the same time take care of the interests
Of the inhabitants of this State. We
can reduce the price OF transportation
by increasing the carrying capacity Of
the Erie Canal, and it directly benefits
New York and Buffalo. We can de-
crease the price of transportation of
farm products by building a system of
State highways which will cover ten
thousand miles Of highways in the
State, leaving ninety thousand miles
OF highway to be cared for by the
local authorities in each town, and 1t
directly benefits every county. In or
der to cheaper transportation for the
farmer we must improve ten thousand
miles OF hlghway-only two thousand
miles more than the eight thousand
miles Of steam railroad in the State
4 The development of steam railroads
Snd trolley roads has given rapid tran
, sit to the cities and to the State; the
| development Of ten thousand miles of
sountry highways will give rapid
| transit to the rural districts and will
unite the entire population of the State
Of New York on the proposition of
maintaining the commercial suprem.