The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-15
SPOKE FOR
GOOD ROADS
South Carolina Senator Has a
Startling Array Of Sta
tistics.
BILL. FOR ROAD IMPROVEMENT
Legislation He Favors Provides
for Appropriation Of Twenty
four Million Dollars.
fFron our Regular Correspondent.

(From Our Regular Correspondent)
WASHINGTON d. c.. Jan. 14.-Gover-
nor Mon tague, who has for years advo-
Gated good roads as the means of adj
vancIng the general prosperity OF the
State OF Virginia. and especially Of the
residents OF the country districts. would
have been interested in the speech which
Senator Latmer. of South Carolina. de-
livered to-day in advocacy OF his bill for
the Improvement OF the highways OF tho
country.
The La timer bill provides for the appro-
priation of s24.0Ov,..v, which Is to be di-
vided among the States in the proportion
that each State bears to the population
OF the Union. with the additional provlso
that S250,000 shall be the minimum allot-
lnent to any State having a population OF
leas than 100000 inhabitants. The money
thus appropriated is to be expended in
constructing roads.
The States of Colorado. Delaware.
Florida. Idaho. Maine. Montana. Nevada.
New Hampshire. North Dakota. Oregon.
Rhode Island, South DakOta, Utah.. Ner-
mont, Washington and Wyoming come
under this provision and would receive
but $3.50, OOO The amounts which would.
be received by some Of the other States
are as follows:
Pennsylvania ....................s 81 ,S2S.0o0
New York .....,................$ ,lOS, wv
New Jersey .............'.'..... o1o,ooo
Massachusetts ................'. 6l5,oVu
@Cpnnectlcut ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS So.,uuu
Maryland .............. at4,ooo
West Virginia 27S,o00
y,rrinio 538, 900
q In tho course OF his speech Mr.. Latimcr
said that the average cost OF transporting
a ton over a mile OF dirt road In the
United States has been found to be tWen-
ty-hve cents while over the improved
roads OF Europe Is but ten or twelve
cents. He thought two million OF the
sixteen million horses and mules on the
farms could be dispensed with and the
cost Of sll5.OOO.0oo year for maintain
ing them could be saved. as we'll as their
value OF $4,000. 900. Senator Latlmer
discussed the moral and social advant-
ages OF good roads, which would bring
the agricultural classes IN closer touch
with the cities, He thought the States
could raise half the money and the Fede-
raj government should appropriate the
other half. The expenditure OF this money
for this purpose would give employment
to labor, teams and wagons enhance the
value of products. and cheaper the cost
of production and transportation and
raise the valuation Of land and put money
into circulation. In replying to tho cues
ton as to why the states should not levy
a tax sufficient to meet the whole en-
pense, the senator held that such tax
would only reach a portion OF the people.
whereas the burden should DO distributed
equally,
2 senator Latlner paid high tribute to
the character OF the rural population which
had nborne unmurmuringly all the gov
eminent has demanded Of them" and have
asked less OF the government than any
other class. The expectation OF the farm
products had turned the balance of trade
in favor Of the United States, and, as
tho Secretary Of Agriculture recently
stated, ut Is the farmers then that nave
maid the foreign bond holders?''