Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1903-03-26

| it is bordered with hedges and with
| out trees, no serious accident would
be possible TO any motor at its highest
| speed. 1t will be like driving over a
| fine lawn, except that the power re-
| quired will be almost nil. The in
crease of motor cars will increase the
demand for special roads, and in tuEl
such roads will increase the demand
| for motors. These vehicles requiring
only low head-room, their roads can
easily pass under the@A highways.
These special roads would benefit
every interest concerned. both public
and private; they would extend the
suburban limits of the city and deveI-
op new residence districts of the high
est class, and they would largely re-
lieve the public roads of motor travel,
while adding to the usefulness and
popularity of motor vehicles by free
ing them from a speed limit on good
stretch of distance. The first cost of
these roads might be heavy, but that
of maintenance would be trifing,
while the saving in wear and tear of
vehicles would be immense. For steel
roads in country districts, a single
track will usually be sufficient, and
with a lighter and narrower rail, the
total weight about 100 tons per mile;
the rails to rest on foundations of
stone, gravel, or burned clay and be-
tween the rails few inches of gravel
for the horse path. Outside the grass
will grow up to the rails and the turf
will be firm enough for light vehicles
to turn out upon, and for such heavy
ones as go contrary to the current of
traffic, while it will save the road from
wash and wear On many of the older
stone roads all but narrow wagon
track is covered with strong grass
which has grown up in the hard mac
adam.
Authorities on commerce and pro-
duction all agree upon the vital need
of common road improvement in the
United States. The chamber of COM
merce of New York says: I'VE are
handicapped in all the markets of the
world by a needless waste of labor in
| the primary transportation of our pro-
| ducts, which goes far to Offset our
great advantages in other respects"
! TIE department of agriculture at Wash
ington through its 10000 regular cor
respondents, has gathered statistics
of the cost of hauling on country
roads, with estimates of distances and
quantities moved. and has computed
the total expended at 5000 900. 600 an
nually, of which 1t considers two-thirds
chargeable to bad roadside average
rate per ton per mile being % cents,
against rate of eight cents in most
parts of Europe. 1t is true that this
most incredible tax has not been I'M
bearable while we were Swimming the
cream of a new continent" but 1t is
so now in many sections, and must be-
come so generally. 1t is already keep
ing in hopeless poverty great regions
where the soil is worn or wearing out.
No one doubts that good roads
would pay-but how to get them is
the question. II Is the special weak
ness of our system of government that
We cannot compel a present sacrifice
to secure future benefit. People who
govern themselves will not apparently
tax themselves to build the roads
which they know they need, nor will
they generally consent to borrow the
money and tax their children's chill
dren to pay it, although they could
hand own to them not only the roads
themselves. but the savings of gener-
atoms in their use. Good roads must
therefore be built, If built at all, with
out any decided increase in present
taxation and without imposing a bur
' densome debt upon the future. This
: situation might seem to be an absolute
impasse, but there are ways out of it,
and the successful adoption of steel
for general road construction will help
to open the way. 1t will practically
eliminate for generation at least the
question Of maintenance, which in
stone roads is most serious and will
| leave only the first cost to be provid-
ed for. while 1t will bring in a new and
powerful interest accustomed to high
finance" to help devise the ways and
means for that first cost.
In estimating the cost of the metal /
for roads il will not be necessary to |
take the present boom prices. not even |
the probable average for term of |
years; advantage can be taken of dull |
times. since public funds can be raised f,
as we'll then as ever. and the steel pro I
ducers would rather have this new de
mand come in such times, at low |
prices to help them hold their labor, |
than to have it at high prices in flush !
times when they are overcrowded with /