The Washington times., 1903-03-06
APPROVAL FOR GOOD
ROADS REFORMATION
Present and Past Views of Judge E. H
Thayer, of iowa.

Among the leaders in the good roads
movement Is Representative BrOwnIow
Of Tennessee, who recently introduced
a bill IN Congress providing for ma
tional cooperation in road improve
ment- Judge z. II. Thayer. Of Clinton.
Iowa, has Just written letter to Col
onel Brownlow. in which he approves
all the provisions OF the bill and says
that ne was the presiding officer Of the
first national good roads convention ever
held in his country. Judge Thayer
made speech at the convention. which
was held II Chicago in 1892, in which
he presented a proposition that is prac-
tically Identical with that running
through the Brownlow bill. Among other
things. Judge Thayer said:
The Constitution provides that Con
gress shall have the power to establish
pOstoffices and postroads.' II has ap-
prOpriated millions OF dollars from the
public treauTy for establishing post
Offices, but in the last half OF the cen
tury it has appropriated comparatively
nothing for establishing postroads
There is IoC an inhabitaut Of Iowa but
is entitled 10 have his mail brought TO
his home, no matter whether he lives in
the country or in the city. II is crafty
ing TO know that the free delivery svs-
ten is being extended 10 the small
towns, although tho Postmaster Cen
eral writes that 'enlarging free de-
livery or anything like universal free
delivery will have TO be postponed IN
I'll there are better facilities Of com
munication through the rural and
must the State and the county and the
township ne required to make those
better facilities by the expenditure OF
vast sums OF money, and then invite the
Government 10 put mail carriers on
them? That cannot be the meaning OF
the Constitution. To establish post
roads must mean something more than
merely using the roads for postal ser
vice after somebody else has built
them
Up 10 the first day OF July. 500, there
has been paid into the Federal treasury
from the sale OF Iowa lands the sum
OF 81. 031 s00.17. More than half OF this
amount was for lands sold in 1855.
There has been donated TO railroads
1910. 937 acres of land. Now then, in the
present state OF the public mind on
the necessity OF building good roads.
with popular opinion favoring Govern
ment aid. would IL not be a reasonable.
proper. and legitimate thing for Con-
gress 10 return TO Iowa at least an
amount equal TO the one-half Of the
proceeds derived from the sale Of Iowa
lands. TO be used in establishing post
roads in this State? This would give
as Government aid. In round figures.
Sc. 500 600.
The older States contributed no
lands 10 tn. common national fund. but
Iowa lands were sold 20 make up
portion OF Government expenses. which
all the States alike ought 10 have con
tributed 10. When the West. with par
donable enthusiasm, run wild after rail-
roads. and Congress donated almost
3 600 900 acres Of the best land the sun
ever shGne upon 20 help build these
roads in this State had there been tho
same interest taken by our people in
good roads that there is now, and had
the State then asked for similar
amount OF lands for road purposes, no
doubt Congress would have complied
with the request. For precisely tho
same object but more directly in the
interest OF the State. let Iowa appeal 10
Congress for an appropriation equiva-
lent to the donation made TO the rail
roads"