Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1904-10-06

sprung the "Good Roads Idea OF a
Road" on them and they realized
that man was speaking who knew
all the details of farming from the
proper time for cutting elders to
the rotation OF crops, they saw that
they had been bearing all the bur.
den of taxation when the state
should have helped.
"A road" said Mr.. Richardson, "is
a public way in the broadcast sense
II belongs to no one, aud might
add II locks Il In these parts. TAP
plause) The farmers by whose
door it passes has, comparatively
speaking, no more right on II than
the humblest dweller of the village.
The hum blest dweller Of the village
no more than the remotest citizen
of the state, the remotest citizen OF
the state than the inha bitant of an.
other state. They all own II alike.
Therefore the expense of building
and maintaining the road should
be borne by a tax levied, not on you
alone, my friends from the country,
but on all property and all inter
ests; upon the township, the coun-
ty, the state and perhaps at come
future time the United States.
loud applause.
During the next week at Lebanon
the Good Roads construction train
will draw large crowds from the
three adjoining counties, through
which the Good Roads movement
has passed, by means of it's manner
of building the sample" road in
which all are interested.
Mr.. Eldridge, in speaking OF the
ideal good road, put to rout all idea
of the dirt road, much liked by
farmers because il is easy on the
horses feet.
The ideal road" he said, sis the
stone road. At Lebanon we will
construct such road, just outside
the town limits in the county.
First the entire roadway between
the fences will be leveled. This is
mostly done by pick and shovel
work, although the pillow can be
used on the sides. Then then the
road will be given it's proper arch
and drainage, after which the CEN
ter of the road for width of nine
feet will be dug out to a depth OF
nine inches. In this trench will be
laid stones about the size OF an egg,
or as McAdam says, about the size
which can be put into mans
mouth, aBd these are regarded az
the foundation.
"Ou top of that will go crushed
rock about the size of the ends OF
your fingers and on top OF that the
surface of screened rock. Each OF
these layers will be rolled by a
steam roller as it is put down. The
soft earth at the side is arranged
to carry off the water and the road
ia finished. With the proper main
|tainance it will last as long az Ro-
man road"
In speaking of the Legislation
which he expected to follow the
crusade, President Moore attacked
the Democratic state platform good
roads plank in favor of the Repub'
lican state platform plank, al
though the declared that the Ma
tional Good Roads Association
was non. partisan. He said:
1.-THE Republican platform is as
follows: 1--WE favor the system OF
state appropriation to aid and en-
courage townships and counties in
road improvement and OF co-opera'
ton between federal and state au-
thorities to this end. The burden
of expense should be distributed
90 that corporate and other inter
ests benefited shall assist the
agricultural classes in road i'm
provement."
"This is exactly the "state-aid"
plan suggested by the association
in the proposed bill before the
state legislature which we are ask
ing the farmers to use their infiu-
enc to have passed, to which end
the good roads train is canvassing
the rural districts.
ION the other hand, while the
Democratic state platform admits
that "good roads are necessary to
the intercourse of citizens of the
state, and there is no subject of
more vital importance to the farm
ing interests, and while II realizes
that the present road laws are in
adequate" It adds: I've favor the
passage of laws making the rail-
road commissioner state highway
commissioner az well, to the end