The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1902-07-09
A National Need.

people to. day is that of good roads
Good roads. like all other good
things, cost. Cheap articles are of
inferior quality; hence our bad
roads.
If we are to have good roads we
must pay for them. To pay for
them we must be taxed. Then, if
taxed. how? By the Federal or
State Government?
l am in favor of the whole sys-
tenn of roads in the country being
placed under Government construc-
ton, to be paid for out of the Uni
ted States Treasury. and. having
introduced bill looking to this
end, / sm overwhelmed with letters
from all sectio rs of the country APP
proving it and inaui1ing about it.
This bill provides for the direct
appropriation of Sl00.000,O00 to be
expended in the forty-five States
and four Territories of the United
States in proportion to population.
1t should become continuing ap-
preparation till good roads become
a network over the land.
Will anybody tell me why the
United States Government should
not construct good roads in the
various States and Territories? Is
there any difference in thus apply
ing public money and applying it
to creeks, branches and rivers?
Both are to expedite transportation,
to help inter state aud foreign COM
merce.
Now, when we remember that
New York is nearer to San Fran
cisco than it was to Baltimore sew
enty years ago, when the one ex-
changes goods with the other every
hour of the day, when we can now
whisper across the continent-we
may think that it was the inventive
genius alone of such men as Watt,
Stephenson, Fulton, Bell aud Edi-
son; but not so. 1--WE have directed
the national hand and loosened the
national purse strings" to the en-
couragement of inspired industrial
methods; to the establishment of
great commercial and mechanical
centres; and in certain directions
have so extended national aid as to
enlarge and quicken the means of
transportation-except that on the
public roads and have expended
millions to provide outlets for the
accommodating inland trade. 1t was
good craftsmanship to do it, except
that they ignored public roads.
During the early years of the
Republic the National Government
appropriated only about fourteen
millIo rs of dollars for the construc-
ton of the national highways to
connect the Capital with the dis
tant parts of the country. The
longest straight road ever made by
any government in the world was
built by the United States from
Cumberland, Md and through
Maryland, Pennsylvania. Ohio, In
diana and Illinois to st. Louis.
This was not only the longest
straight road, but the best road in
America. 1t was productive of
great good in its day, but owing to
the differences in the minds of the
leading statesmen of that day the
work was finally abandoned, and
for two generations past the gener-
al Government has done very little,
or almost nothing, toward the con-
struction and maintenance of the
highways of the country. AS re-
suit the great Cumberland road has
fallen into decay, and there has
been less progress made in the
science and art of public road
building in the United States from
thatiday TO this than in any other
industry or department of knowl-
edge.
The concentration of population
and wealth in great cities would be
largely overcome if the country
districts should have their fair
share of the appropriation of pub
lie money and the consequent i'm
provement of the country roads
that would follow.-Peter j. Otey,
Representative from Virginia.
In Ireland the government &C.
ioncao m Tr;ohroo, aE -.