Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-14
TO BUILD HIGHWAYS
Provisions Of Representative
Brownlow's Bill.
GOVERNMENT. TO AID
FEDERAL, STATE AND MUNICH
PAL COOPERATION.
Author Of the Measure in Receipt of
GOVERNMENT TO AID
Author Of the Measure in Receipt of
Many Letters Of Appfoval-His
Views on It's Desirability.

Representative Brownlow of Tennessee,
who introduced the first bill at the present
session Of Congress, is enthusiastically
working up sentiment In favor of that
measure-a proposition for federal, state
and municipal cooperation for good roads.
Mr.. Brownlow has received many letters
from persons in all parts Of the country in
dorsing his bill. He is also in receipt of
letters from the state highway commission
ers Of New York, New Jersey, Massachus-
etts. California. Connecticut and Vermont
It Is understood that no effort will be made
to get the bill before Congress at the pres
ent session, but that the groundwork for
its consideration by the committee on agri-
culture and then by the House will be
laid so that action on 1t may be begun at
once in the Fifty-eighth Congress. In dis
cussing the measure with Star reporter
today Mr.. Brownlow said:,
Depends Upon the Government.
1.-THE fact that the United States govern
ment has taken no substantial part in
building or maintaining public highways in
this country, for the last two generations, is
accepted by many people as final proof that
the general government is forbidden, either
public policy, from engaging in any such
internal Improvement. On the other hand
it should be noted that no system Of public
highways was ever built up or maintained
in any country without the substantial aid
Of the general government Of that country.
The almost universal lack of improvement
in regard to our public road system is d.
rectly referable to the fact that there has
been no well established system or policy
pertaining to the question. Those who have
done most to agitate for permanent I'M
provements have found that the farmers Of
the country have almost invariably been OPP
posed to any general plan heretofore sug
gested for the building up Of permanent
and durable roads; although it generally
conceded that the farmers would be bene
flied as much, If not more, than any other
class of people by such roads.
THE real reason for the far1aer's objec-
ton is found in the fact that according to
the ordinary scheme Of Improvement, he
would be called upon to pay the entire bur-
den Of cost; which he intuitively feels to be
greater than he ought to bear, If not greater
than he is able to bear. Considering this
long-continued opposition by the people in
the rural districts, and the lack of policy
on the part of the general government and
especially considering that road building is
undoubtedly a public duty which rests upon
the government in some form, II seems that
the farmers are entitled to- some assistance
in bearing the necessary burden of cost to
improve the public highways; and that the
United States government should step for
ward with some definite policy and assume
some share Of the burden and responsibility
which Is necessary to produce q creditable
system Of public highways. and which has.
as stated above, never been effected in any
country at any time without the substantial
aid and encouragement of the general gov
eminent Of the country.
Government to Pay One-Half.
1.-THE Brownlsw bill Oh. R. No. 1860
seeks to establish such a policy to be fol-
lowed by the United States. 1t is a policy
Of cooperation, and seeks to bring in the
general government as a cooperating fac
tor to work in connection with any state or
political subdivision thereof, so that the
United States should furnish one-half the
cost Of improvement and the state or po-
litical subdivision thereof, cooperating,
should furnish the other half.
THE Constitution of the United States
puts no such Limitation upon the govern
ment as to prevent the cooperation pro-
vided for in this bill, and so far as public
policy is concerned, that remains to be set
tied by the consensus of opinion of the peo-
Pile of the United States. It was not con-
sidered good public policy until very re-
Gently to undertake to deliver the United
States mail to the people living in the rural
districts, but 1t has been found upon trial
to be very useful, very economical, and very
tricts; and yet for forty or fifty years the
people in cities have been favored by hav-
ing their mail delivered at their doors,
while people living in the rural districts
have been Disseminated against because
we had not discovered, untA lately, that it
Is good public policy to deliver mail alike
to people in the country and IN the city.
One Is almost as easily obtainable as the
could not have been delivered to the people
living in the rural districts forty years ago
as well as at the present time; as matter
Of fact, the roads were as good then, Tor
the most part, as they are now, and the
population in very many of the older states
was less sparse in the rural districts at that
time than at the present time. NOW that
the people are manifesting their desires to
have the mail delivered in the country and
have demonstrated that it is possible. their
representatives in Congress are eager to
appropriate almost any sum of money to
bring about this result
Popular Expression Desired.
what we have seen and are seeing in the
development Of rural free mail delivery Is
likely to be repeated in the matter of max
ing permanent improvements to the high
ways Once let it be understood that the
desired result can be accomplished through
system of cooperation, aided, fostered
and encouraged by the general govern
ment and then let the people Of the coun-
try express themselves in favor of the plan,
and you will find that Congress and the
Constitution will not be against but for it,
What members Of Congress want Is an ex-
preston from their constituency, showing
what Is desired in the several districts
There are many rural districts that have no
great rivers, or great harbors, or great
cities which entitle them to public build
ings. but there is no district without many
miles of public roads that need to be per-
manently improved. Let the people ask for
1t and they will receive the assistance
which they desire and deserve.
1T Is remarkable fact that the United
States government has already appropriate
ed million dollars to Ponxo Rico for road
building and another million to the Phil
ippine Islands: and the Secretary of War
has just made an appeal to Congress
through the President of the United States,
who strongly indorses that appeal, to have
three million dollars appropriated for the
use of the Philippine government. The fol-
lowing Is quoted from Secretary Roots let
ter: Previous experiences SYNDICATE that
such an appropriation coufdi be made the
most useful by giving the Fhifippine gov
eminent discretion to apply Il IN such pro-
portions as they deem Wfiaes Id the direct
purchase and distrihutiodsbr sale Of sup
plies, or through the emplbyinent of labor
in the construction OF Euxern hnent wagon
roads. railroads or other psblic works !"