The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-09-07

,1II,I ,iin, question: Ol GOuu llnJTONe'
IlIN r IU ment has received a good
llllll = llll!l deal of attention from the
@l-G4 legislators in the Eastern
States, notably in Massachusetts and
New Jersey. Careful study of the road
question in these States soon devol
oped the fact that the counties and
towns were doing little and in many
cases nothing, and that tho roads were
gradually becoming worse instead of
better. In Massachusetts the idea was
first conceived of having the State and
civil subdivisions thereof cooperate
in the Improvement of the roads. \
state law embodying this principle was
adopted in New Jersey about the same
time as in Massachusetts and for the
last ten years remarkable progress has
been made in these two States. In.
deed, the principle of State aid has be.
come so popular within the last few
years that this same principle has been
enacted into law in the States of
Maine, New Hampshire. Vermont.
Rhode Island, Connecticut. New York,
Delaware and Pennsylvania. and the
idea is being carefully considered by
the legislatures of many of the South.
ern and Western States.
Mr.. NJ. o. Eldridge. Assistant Direc.
tor. Office of Public Road Inquiries of
the United States Department of Ag.
riculture, recently made an inspection
trip through the States of Maine. Mas.
sachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut
and New York. In an in interview Mr..
Eldridge had the following to say in
regard to the road conditions in these
States:
II am fully convinced from my re.
cent trip that the roads which have
been built in the East through the aid
of the States and under the direction of
highway commissions are the best
roads in the United States. and are
equal, If not superior, to the best roads
in the world. This is due to the fact
that these roads have been built un.
der intelligent supervision. by skillful
workmen. out of the very best mate
rials, and with American road build
ing machinery; whereas most Of the
roads that have seen in the old coun-
try were built by hand. and have
since been maintained in the same
way. IN spite of the long drought
which prevailed throughout the New
England States during the spring and
summer the State roads were firm and
smooth, and although | personally in.
spected over 800 miles of improved
roads, | did not see single one which
had raveled or which had signs of wear
from the recent dry weather. In the
southeastern part of Massachusetts and
along Cape Cod Bay, and in the south
ern part of Connecticut, the old roads
were composed entirely of sand. but
in spite of the dry weather, the State
roads built on these sand foundations
are remarkably hard and smooth"
Mr.. Edridge was asked if he thought
that the people of the Eastern States,
who had already built some good roads,
and who have organized TO continue
the work along the present lines,
would be willing to accept assistance
from the general Government in build
ing roads as provided for in the Brown.
low bill
Il believe" said Mr.. Eldridge, that
the people of the Eastern States are
so enthusiastic on the subject of good
roads that they would be glad to ac-
cept the cooperation of the Govern
ment. They have been building good
roads for the past ten years, yet the
work of completing the system has
just fairly started. Even If the pres
ent plans and liberal appropriations
are continued it will take many years
to improve all the important highways
in these States. and consequently the
people are anxious to secure any addi-
tional aid possible. The State High
way Commissioners of Massachusetts,
Connecticut, New York and New Jer-
sey expressed themselves as being in
favor of national aid. and | believe
that all the good roads people in the
Eastern States are in favor Of tt
Good Roads Magazine.