Woodville Republican., 1903-02-21
GRoWTH on AN IpEA.
xaiisssi AIs 10 Rsaa BsiIsiaE. Ozes
o. rspsisr Fasss. o. Onee Mere
vital f.sus.

ment taking an active part in sae
construction of the highways. 30 pop
ular thrse-quarters Of a century aRo,
has for several decades been consid-
sred obsolete. But the interest mani
Tested m the BsoWniow bill. which
provides for national all 10 road
building. shows that this idea Is very
much alive. Indeed the popular in
terest Ia ihe subject is a source of
surprise 90 those who have not been
giving the matter attention. This
interest h by no means a sud,ien de
seispmeBt either Il has been grow
log steadily for a number Of years.
u Il now ten years since the p0pu-
lar demand that Uncle Sam do some
Thing 20 help out Of the mud led g.
the establishment Of an Office Of pub
lie road inquiries in the United states
department of agriculture. The work
Of ihis Office was intended to be pure
" educational in character. II was
10 collect and disseminate practical
Information concerning the roads OF
the country and means and methods
for their improvement. The first
work of this Office was to prepare
and publish a large number Of bulIe
tins and circulars treating on tn
various phases Of road building and
Improvement. This work occupied
several years. and il was well done
II the roads In most parts Of the
country remain bad. II is not for the
want Of information as to how they
may be improved in the best and
most economical manner; for Uncle
Sans good roads" Office Is VERT
able information bureau" on the
subject.
Object.iess roads have been built
under government supervision in q
states, and so great has been the
demand for national aid OF this kind
that large number of applications
have 10 be refused every year because
The funds appropriated by congress
are insufficient 20 employ and pay
this expense Of enough experts to-
do the work. Already congress has
twice made an increase In the appro
priations for this work. but the $50,
600 now appropriated annually proves
wholly inadequate 20 meet the de-
mands for this educational work,
II should be borne in mind that ali
the work Of this kind done by the
government ~ in the nature of ma
tional aid. There Is, therefore, moth
ing new in principle in the bill re-
Gently introduced in congress by Col
Brownlow, OF Tennessee providing
for national aid of more extensive
and substantial character. II is pro-
posed that the government shall nc
longer continc its assistance to edu.
cational work; that il shall furnish
not only information and supervision.
but financial assistance. Under Ger.
tain limitations. the national govern
ment will cooperate with states ard
counties in the Improvement of the
common roads, each assuming GER
tain proportion Of the expense.
II the educational work done by
the government in recent years has
done so much to encourage and slim
ulate road improvement, what may
we not expect from this great exten
sion OF the principle of national aid
1t Is sometimes urged as an objec-
tion TO national aid that IL will cause
the people to relax their efforts al |
road improvement, and to depend on
the general government TO do the
work for them. lis It not likely to
produce exactly the opposite result?
The large fund which congress viii |
appropriate for this work will be di. |
yided among the states IN proportion |
TO population. But no state can sc
cure its share except by complying |
with the conditions prescribed, the |
chief of which is that II shall raise b
like sum for the same purpose. In
stead Of discouraging state effort
this should greatly stimulate il
gain. II state takes no action look
ng TO the acceptance of the govern
ment's proffered help, the individual
may do SO. and this again
vill create rivalry among the
counties in their efforts 70 secure
part of the national fund due the
state.
The scheme is great one, and far
in its possibilities for eco
lomic development. Time and In
diligence will be required TO work
,us the details of its application. but
here appears 10 be no serious oh
taele, either practical or eonstitu-
ional, in the way Of its realization