Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1904-09-24
THE ROAD QUESTION.
SENATOR LATlMeR ON THE NEED OF
GOOD HIGHWAYS.

Marketing Crops Transportation
In European Countries - National
Aid In Road Building.
Senator Latimer Of South Carolina
has come to the front as one Of the
leading champions Of road improve
mcnt. In fact, he was elected to the
senate mainly on that issue. Last fall
he introduced into the senate bill for
national aid similar to that which Con-
grcssmnn Brownlow introduced into the
house. and he has defended it ably and
eloquently. In an address recently de-
livercd ut Boston he said:
"The improvement of the common
roads of the country engaged the at
tention Of our ablest statesmen from
1902 to 1882, and during that period
about S14OOO,OOO was appropriated by
congress for road purposes. All the
great minds Of that period were one
in conceding this question to be Of the
highest Importance In determining the
happiness and prosperity Of the Amer
lean people. 1t is today, as it was
then. u question which demands the
earnest consideration Of every Ameri-
can citizen. The mud tax levied on
our people by the miserable condition
Of the common roads is the most oner-
GUS that we have to pay. 1t will as
tonish you to know that 1t costs the
people Of the United States every year
more to transport the surplus products
of the farm and forest to the shipping
point than the total cost Of transport
ing all the freight, passengers, mail
and express over all the railroads of
the United States.
"In 1896 the railroads received from
all sources little over $IOO,OOO,OOO.
Every dollar Of this was returned to
the people in the employment Of labor,
payment for material, in taxes to the
states and In interest on invested cap
ital. The $1,O0O.OOO,OOO or more spent
In cost Of transportation over the dirt
roads was total loss. not one cent be-
Ing returned to the people In taxes or
as interest on invested capital. And
vet this Is only a portion Of the loss
caused by the poor condition Of our
roads.
"In this enlightened age no one q,tes-
tions the stupeMious advantages which
would follow a complete system of i'm
proved roads. The cost Of the work
would be paid by the savings Of one
year. On the improved roads Of Eu-
rope the cost of transporting a ton
mile is from 5 to IL cents, while In
the United States the cost averages %
cents A reduction Of this cost by one
half would save to the American peo-
pie $5OO.O00.OOO per annum.
THE practical question which con-
fronts us today is. How is this condition
to be met and overcome? Upon whom
must the burden Of this great under
taking fall? We have tried the present
system, which was inherited from
England. and it has not resulted in
much improvement in the past 100
years, and. in my Judgment. will never
prove success.
at Is evident that some change in our
method OF road improvement must be
adopted. The local community is not
able to construct roads uraided. Many
of the states are not able to do so, and
even If they were there is n feeling.
which. in my opinion. is justly founded,
that it would be unjust to require them
to bear the whole burden. The con-
sumers Of raw material and food prod
ucts throughout the United States are
equally interested with the producer in
lowering the cost Of transportation, as
they in the end have to pay this heavy
tax. AS this burden cannot be eQuitably
distributed except by placing 1t on all
the people. and as the most remuner-
ative powers of raising revenues, origi-
nally held by the states, are now in
the federal government, 1t is only by
an appropriation out of the federal
treasury that the improvement Of our
roads can be accomplished with JUS
tice to all the people.
THE next question which presents
itself Is as to the power Of congress to
make such an appropriation. l think
that the power exists by express grant
in the constitution. Basing my opinion
on the views of such eminent men as
Madison, Monroe, Gallatin, Webster.
Calhoun, Clay and Adams and taking
into consideration the legislative his
tory Of the country, l hold that the
power Is clearly established. The pow
er has been exercised whenever con-
gress thought 1t wise to do so, and the
only question which Is really important
Is whether or not this Is a proper sub
ject for federal aid. All that Is asked
by the bill introduced by me is the ap
preparation of fund for road purposes.
The states are to furnish the right Of
way, maintain the roads after they are
built and pay One-half the cost. Con-
gress is not asked to invade the states,
but simply to appropriate money as
an aid to an object for the general well
fare and happiness Of all the people.
There could be no better investment Of
the public funds than In road improve
ment. 1t would enhance the value of
farm lands from 10 to Is per cent. |
An increase In value Of s. per acre
would add S3,OOO,OOO, 600 to the wealth
of the country In this item alone. The
congestion of business during the win
ter months would disappear. and our
people could go to the markets at all
times. In fact, the material advan-
tages which would follow are too nu-
merous to mention and too great to