The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-15
National Aid to
Road Building,
(BY ]. B. KillelreW.l

county, township and civil district, but
the legislatures of the several States are
beginning to listen to the coming storm
OF public applause or public indignation
by devising methods to improve the roads
but by far the most important, because
the most comprehensive inaugurated is
that of the bill presented to Congress-
by the Hon. w. P. Brownlow. of Ten
nessee. In it's scope this bill provides
for national aid in road Improvement to
every political division or subdivision of
the country. Section IL of the bill pro.
vides that one-half of the expense or
the construction shall be paid bv the
Treasurer of the United States upon the
warrant of the Comptroller, issued upon
the requisition of the Director OF said
Bureau, out of any specific appropria-
lions made to carry out the provisions
of this act. and one-half of the expense
thereof shall be paid by the State or
political sub-division thereof making ap-
plcation for the cooperation provided
for Provided. that nothing herein shall
be construed to prevent the State or po-
litical sub division thereof from dis
tributing the said half so that the State
may pay a portion, the county a portion
and the owners of the land abutting upon
said road another portion: And provided
further. that no money be advanced by
the United States in payment of it's por-
tion of the cost of construction as pro-
vided for, except as the work of actual
construction progresses, and in no case
shall the payment or payments made thus
prior to the completion of the work be
in excess of eighty per centum of the
value of the work performed, but in all
cases twenty per centum must be held
until the completion of the work accord
ing to the plans and specifications and to
the satisfaction of the director of said
bureau
This is a wise provision and will put
every community upon it's mettle. Those
that are imbued with the spirit of prog
ress and improvement will not hesitate
to avail themselves of this assistance in
building good roads. The passage of this
bill will be distinctive and making
evtn in the legislation of the country. To
one who properly considers all the bene-
fits that will accrue to the nation and to
all it's citizens by the passage of this
bill it must be conceded that no other
legislation has ever been fraught with
so much good for the people and with
please about the influence Of public
schools, the press, the pulpit, the plat
form and other institutions that mark
the civilized progress of mankind, yet
all these are more or less dependent upon
the facilities of intercourse between the
people, In fact it is an undniable truth
that civilization means labor in some
form and labor is the ability to move
Ill TO Mo nj off
cheney depends upon the ease with which
they are moved. No nation has ever yet
achieved permanent renown without good
roads or ever built them and regretted
it afterwards No community in pos
session of good roads would be willing
to surrender them upon the repayment of
their cost and maintenance. OF all the
expenditures made by aggregated bodies
or by government agencies, while it may
not be the least felt, it produces the
reatest good and the greatest satisfaction
to the greatest number. Everybody uses
good roads; the millionaire and the beg
gar. the black and the white. the lame
and the blind, women and children all
enjoy and participate in the advantages
and blessings of good roads. They are
the morning star of progress; they are
merce: they are the avenues over which
pass the main agencies for the dissent
nation Of knowledge and the increase of
intelligence, as we'll as the enjoyments
of social intercourse in rural life. They
provide the means for the performances
of public duty, of reaching local mar
kets or shipping point" on the railways.
They serve more country people in the
4lx.N <.11rNr
This bill of Mr.. Brownlow's is most
timely. The rapid extension of the rural
free delivery system now covering 30O,-
COO square miles and destined in the near
future to be extended to the 1000, 900
people lvin in the rural districts, make
good roads a necessity Why should the
United States. that has attained suprem
acy over all other nations in wealth and
in a world influence in commence
and diplomacy, hesitate to enter upon
work that will bind its citizens to IT
with a loyalty exceeding the loyalty OF
the people of any other nation whatever!
Why hesitate to do that which every per-
son desires to be done in some way?
Why hesitate when good roads are the
most important factors in carrying on:
the wise provisions for increasing the
intelligence of its citizenship through
rural free delivery? No other highly civ
ilized nation on earth has so many bad
roads as the United States. England.
France, Germany, Spain, Italy all have
good roads.
This government belongs ito the peo-
pie They instituted it for Atheir own
welfare. They are the rulers. Congress
is but one of the agencies they have
created to provide for their wants and
to execute their will. There is no con-
stitutional barrier to the building of
roads. The same clause in the Constitu-
tion that authorizes the establishment
OF postoffices authorizes the establish
ment of post roads. These two Const1-
tutional bestowments are coordinate
branches created for the accomplishment
of the same great end, that is, the corr
venience and happiness of the peopl-,.
But aside from the necessity of build
ing good highways for the better dis
tribution Of the mails through rural dis
tricts, it should be borne in mind that
the agricultural classes, while doing more
to sustain the credit of the government
and the financial strength of its people
than all other classes combined have had
the smallest appropriations made for
their immediate benefit. The urban pop
,Io+ hoo OF y,n