The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-02-16
Address Delivered Before the
Good Roads Convention.
ECONOMICAL STANDPOINT
What Is Needed is a Plan to Use Com
paratively Small Amounts.
THE AMOUNT EXPENDED MUST Be LIMITED
Only Way to Begin is by Building the Bes. Road
Possible Out of Materials at Hard and
For Years 10 Come This Must
be Done.

be Done.
In response to numerous requests from
delegates TO the Good Roads Convention
held here last week, we now publish lin
full tie address of Prof w. c. Riddick,
of the A. and NJ. College. delivered be-
fore the convention on Wednesday night,
and heard ny that body with marked in
terest.
Prof. Riddick's subject was "Economi-
cal Roads for Rural Districts and the
following is the speech in full:
Gentlemen There is no longer need of
argument to prove that this State must
have better roads. The people are con-
WINGED of the necessity, and the only
question now is. how to get them. Most
people are also satisfied. l think that
the system CT individual work is not only
unfair but can never be made TO give
even passable roads. Therefore the
necessity of some form of taxation. And
let me say here that I do not consider
money collected by the State, county or
township for the Improvement of its
roads as a tax. IL is an investment
which If judiciously used, pays a hand
some dividend to every one who travels
the roads and into every town into
which they lead.
On the other hand we must not I'M
derestimate the difficulties of the road
problem. Our State is one of magnifi-
cent distances and OF magnificent people
TOO, but not many OF them. With at
least forty thousand miles of public
roads, we have only $500, 10000 900 of tax
able pFperty; (while the State of New
Jersey, TO which reference is so frequent
ly made, has 5000, 900 900 of taxable porp-
erty and only twenty thousand miles OF
public roads Yet Mr.. j. E. Owens, a
citizen of that State, says in his paper
tad before the International Good Roads
Congress at Buffalo, that after thirty
years of work and the expenditure of
three and quarter millions of dollars,
only seven hundred miles of road have
been built, and that the road problem in
that State is not yet solved. From the
report OF the Commissioners Of Public
Roads for the State of New Jersey, | find
that the average cost of stone and gravel
roads built in that State from 1898 to
1899 was more than $4,000 mile. Grant
ing that a good stone road of sufficient
width for our purposes can be built for
ERll NEp dEONt 9ulOuuI l9A,0UU luIicl,
which | think is as little as we can reas-
cnably expect, we find that it will take
fifty million dollars. or an annual ex-
penditure of one million dollars for fifty
years, TO macadamize one half of our
roads, with no provision for keeping
them in repair. / do not wish to be I'M
derstood as opposing the macadam road.
/ realize fully it's excellence-its pre-
eninence in faet-and ! know that in
some localities in our State the amount
OF traffic demands the best macadam or
gravel roads that there is ability 10 con-
struct them. | am glad to say that in
several places in this State such roads
arc being built / bid these God speed
in their work and say that there are
other places which should go and do like
wise.
In the thinly settled sections of our
state. however, (Which includes the most
of it,. road improvements must be made
gradually and these road conventions
will have accomplished great good II they
cause the people throughout the State
TO make a beginning and to begin right.
So that whatever money may be collect
ed Tor this purpose will show it's results
in better roads. II, then. the end finally
30 be reached is constantly kept in mind,
IL will usually be possible TO make all
Wcrk done count as permanent improve
lnent; our roads will grow better each
year the people will become more willing
and more able to spend their money for
them, and eventually we will have sys
tenn of roads which will be a credit to
cur State. But the majority of our peo-
pie will not be wiling to tax themselves
until some plan is worked out which
promises in a reasonable time and with
the expenditure of such amounts as can
be collected without excessive taxes to
give 20 every man assessed the DEMENT'S
81 better roads. Since the money must
be raised by taxation, and since our peo
pie are too conservative to TAX them
selves beyond a reasonable limit for any
purpose therefore the amount of money
expended must be limited and the work
donc must cover Il large territory
| frankly confess that the idea of
spending enormous sums of money in
constructing great thoroughfares from
New YORK TO San Francisco or from Muir
Thy TO Manteo, or even from the noun
tairs 10 the seashore. has never appealed
10 me as a solution of the road problem
! would rather see fairly good road
from Rolesvile or Wakefield, or Garner
10 Raleigh than either of the above men
iiorel unless it should happen TO pass
through Raleigh. l make this statement