The Newark journal., 1903-01-30
HAKiRG GOOD ROADS nd Why the Government
 ShoMd Assist.
PUBLIC NECESSITY
~niow Bill Pendtig in Cong ress is q Long Step in the
 Right Diectioh.

|. NJ. Martin we have a copy of the bill by Representative Brown low, of Tennessee, pending in con gress, to give road-building nation al aid and supervision, which is attracting discussion in the press. Thetitle, which embodi esq synopsis of the measure, is "A bill to create in the department of agriculture a bureau to be known as the bureau of public roads. and to provide for a system of national, state and To- cal cooperation in the permanent improvement of the public high ways. It is the purpose of Rep resentatiye BrownloW to press vigorously for the passage of the bill by the next congress, and as would be expected, the proposed legislation has powerful congress ional backing.
 While national improvement of public highways may seem some thing of a departure, t is, never theless, but q return to one of the early policies of the federal govern ment. Before the railroad was thought of, the infant republic laid out and improved roads between important commercial centers, con gress voting appropriations and regulating the plan of work. After the railroad came, there was no df5ber aid of the kind for wagon roads, but Uncle Sam did not hesi- at to help build q transcontinen- tal ra road. It will not be forgot en. I this connection, that the vernmen5 expended a million or more in building the Chesapeake and Ohio canal.
 The improvement of public high Eaya by tae central government
 e more yo commend it than many 9Hs ol internal improvement by es sressioaal appropriation, but eaa plan Is certain to meet with formidable opposition. The ob- jecuon, like many other objections to federal enactments of a com mendable nature. is this: \ state that has for a century been mak- lug liberal appropriations for car rying out an intelligent, permanent system of public road building within its borders, and which is now in the full enjoyment of the fruits of such great expenditure and labor, is sure to do some tall bueking before it will suffer itself to be taxed to improve highways in new states, or in states as old but too short-sighted or poor to build good, durable roads.
 It IS lamentable fact that road building as conducted by the aver age local supervisor IS about as eff fectiye and lasting as water poured in sieve. The first prolonged rain puts the w;sy farer back into the same old slough of despond, hub-deep, and in the spring the taxpayer proceeds as before. Macadam and other permanent roads are enormously expensive, though it is true that the average country township, where road wd drklng is respectable prosecuted, in the course of years pays more fo4 its treacherous dirt roads than itiwould have paid for a service abfaeoike. However, the same ar gutnent will apply to the luekless in5Elyldual who has to pay for a ned esslty on the installment plan. Tn rub IS in getting together the fun Ids to have done with the whole bu iness at once.
 he federal department of agri- cd are has already done good work aa Ig the line of road improve a lt, though mainly in an instruc- ta way. It has constructed sam