The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-03-17

| low hlll. which proposes the orguEiZa-
| ton of national road bureau and an
appropriation of S24 900. JoO 10 he used
in cOniunctioM With the different States
for roadbuildinG. II is entirely i'll har-
mony with the purposes of that meas
ure on the main question. hut proposes
! quite number of minor amendments.
in order TO harmoniZc the bill with
State laws. and the law OF our own
State in particular. The original bill.
conflicts with our own statute. mas
much as it provides for advertising and
contracting by the director Of The good
roads bureau instead o, the MaSSachu-
sets Highway Commission. and that
would prevent the State f"cn hcC"ni-
ing Il beneficiary unde" i.s t"r2.> H. ::t
present formulated.
The commission cf no State is better
qualified than that OF cur own +" nuke
practical suggestions for tl!e better
ment Of the bill. 1t has achieved more
proportionally il not absolutely than
any other. and III tie process Of edu-
catny various communities i'll good
road building it has also educated it
self. 1t is now building better roads
ard building them more economically
than when these enterprises were first
undertaken. and its experience ought
To be of great value III any practical
attempt to broaden and even nation
aliZe the movement. The commission
has sent a draft Of the R:owulGw bill.
with its own suggested .mcndmcnt>.
TO every representative and United
States Senator. with some excellent
arguments in its support.
AS we have already said. there are
two questions TO be settled before the
bill should be favorlhly reported.
which are: Is it pr0pc; Scrvic' for
the Government 10 cn@aG" in, ard. II
so. is it expcdient: Both these cues.
tionS are atfirnatively ana. ii seems 10
Us. concluSively answered in the com.
missions analysis Of the project. 1t
contends that Government aid Is no
new thing in TIE rnitcC States, and
lstU IL lIOl DCtI tAlSLI.Su 'i' 'HN piotN'
time millions Of acres of productive
land would now be in 4 state of nature
instead Of supporting 4 population OK
l0.oOO,O00 souls" uf course. we are
all familiar with the fact that the Coy
ernment is regular and liberal sup
porter of annual schemes for the i'm
provement of rivers and harborS, We
likewise remember the princely con-
cesSions and grants made to the trans
continental railroad companies, i'll or
der to develop the great West. and we
are sensible of the value and even the
vital Importance of this policy to our
national prosperity and integrity: but
not so many of us are aware that Gov
ernment aid to the construction of
highways was one of The earliest acts
authorized by the Government for tie
internal development of the country.
In the commissions brief il is de-
clarcd that the building of road
from tide water TO the Ohio country
WAS a pet project of Washington.
He did not live to Sc it acted upon.
but in 1911 such Il road was begun and
seven years later it was completed at
4 cost to the United States of $1,000
600. For thirty-four years subsequent
to that time. ii was the one great high
way over which passed the mails aud
the bulk of the trade and travel be-
tween the East and the West. and like
the S7,000.00U paid for Alaska. the pur
chase price was repaid to the people
of this country many fold.
That seems to at once establish the
proprety and the eXpediency of The
proposition The commission states
very truly that the money appropriated
for roads is largely wasted Tor the rea-
son that the local rOadmaSter does not
know how to wisely e1pend it, where
as in those States where aid has been
given under scientific direction for this
purpose. lit has worked revolution.
The roads built have con-
WINGED the most Skeptical that they not
only cost less to maintain. lut reduce
the cost OF hauling from twenty-five
to fifty per cent That the nation
should be repaid for expenditure OF
this kind in increased prosperity. ell
hanced values and general raising Of
the moral. the religious and the edu-
cational tone of its people, we do not
doubt. There is almost discerniblc
difference to-day between the citizen
who lives on q good road and the on"
who lives on bad one. They nave
different aspirations aud different
standards of business. Good roads are
among civilizations DeSt missionaries.
Boston Transcript.
Costa Rica Deficient.
Costa Rica is deficient in Sood roads.
d