The Jennings daily record., 1902-05-29

when. superior TO all ques-
| tions of education. politics OF
religion. How shall we get
| where we want to go through this
| mud:; engrosSes the attention of q
| large portion of the population of the
United States. Even in the longest
settled portions of our country. where
| one would suppose time, population
! and wealth has given opportunity to
esta blish proper foundation for com
| Portable locomotion for the wet as well
as the dry season. we find the condi.
| ton nearly as deplorable as in the
| more recently settled areas
WHY is il that with fine farms, with
substantial buildings for man and
! beast. with railroad lines cutting the
country in every direction. and with
billions added each year to the perma'
nept wealth of the country. there is sc
little in the permanent improvement
of our roads? We note in this county
as high as five mills for road purposes.
and at the end of decade after spend
ing $50 out of every $1,000 there is lit
tie permanent improvement.
After failure from the time of set
tlement OF this country till now it
would seem il we should he ready
for some change, especially when we
reflect that nearly every civilized por-
ton of the Old World has successfully
established proper highways. Under
the system prevalent here the citizens
of many districts spend their time and
occasionally some misdirected energy
on the roads. when they run out of n
job at home. regardless of the voice of
the road" TO come and mend me and
l will be your benefac ctor-' The ordi-
nary individual would much rather
make So TO jingle in his pocket or add
to the value of his private wealth than
to make SO in public improvements,
even for his own benefit. so he seeks
every advantage to make dollars for
himself and rarely hunts work for the
public. and his neighbor. the super
visor in charge in the circums scribed ru-
raj district often disregarding his Off
cial duty. fails TO call out his men at
the proper time. and when called out
fails to work them in the proper man
ner and We call this n road system
and howl because we have poor roads.
With any system that depends upon
the material through which The road
passes We cannot have good roads all
the time. but they can be vastly i'm
proved. In my judgment, after large
experience. | am convinced that the
township is about the proper unit for
a road diStrict-that is. for the build
ing and mending of our common dirt
roads. The size and amount of labor
to he performed in this area gives a
man permanent position and takes
him away from local influences, and
much more competent men can be Sc
cured to fill the position of supervisor
than if the districts are small
But this country is much too enlight-
cned and wealthy forever TO be sub
iect to q halt in its ira tfic during pro
longed humid conditions. and we must
soon make Il start for permanent roads.
How? BY the inauguration of a road
system by the Government of the Uni
ted States. and the yearly appropriation
Of not less than $5o.oO0.0O0. this money
to 20 TO localities which would sup
plement ii with an equal amount the
whole TO he spent under the direction
of Government engineers.
Where could money be spent TO bet |
ter advantage: Not on questionable
in building SuperfUous vessels for our
navy that will he old junk in j few |
years An army of men could be per-
employed OF roads and the |
whole country permanently benefited. |
Think of il, 4 single battleShip costs !,
as much as the building of 1909 miles |
of permanent road. and we have suf- |
hciency of the former and there can |
be nc debate about the need of the lat |
ter. Such Il policy could be entirely |
free from politics. and Republicans. |
Democrats. Populists and Prohibition
lists could Jointly work for their coun- |
try's good.
Then great capitalists like Carnegie. |
who has SO literally and intelligently |
given to the cause of education. would |
give other millions to lift the bodies of |
the public out of the mire. as they !
have given millions to emancipate their
minds. What monument to a mans
generosity and sagacity would be a
stretch of permanent highway built by
his tiat.-Thomas Gay, in the Chicago
Record Herald.
Damages For a Defective Road.