The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-02-12
TALKS FOR !.
GOOD |: ROADS;
Senator Gallinger Denies That
National Aid Would be
Unconstitutional.
THIS COUNTRY BACKWARD " | ri:
Costs Billion Dollars a Year to.
IIaul Products to Market,
Where 1t Need Cost HalfN
(rrom our Regular correspondent)

~ = &
W VyAsH1EGToN,4 d. c.. Feb. u.-Thc
constltutionallty OF the proposed action
OF the government In undertaking to
build goods roads throughout the ccun-.
try has sometimes been brought into
question b. people who are for some rea-
son opposed to such legislation. II Is
argued BY such that the doctrine OF
states rights would be dlsregarded were
the general government, working In con-
rectlon with the various States, to under
take the building OF highways. and they
declare that they had rather travel and
haul their produce to market through
mud up to the axles than surrender one
$iota of that precious doctrine. N; j5.51
Senator GalNnger; Of New Hampshire,
who is the author Of one OF tho good
roads bills now pending In Congress. and
& Is i. q clear headed # lawyer. takes the
ground that there Is no constitutional
prohibition, against a measure such as
he proposes. The advocates Of the BILL
point out that the government expends
millions OF dollars for the improvement
& OF the waterways OF the country. and ~
s the Waterways, why not the roads or
course, tho reply to this would be that
the Improvement Of the rivers and har-
bors Is earned on under the direction
and supervision Of the Secretary Of War,
bit It Isl ci,arly understood that the
work is not. done for purposes OF gen eral
defense, which Is authorized by the Con-
stItution, but for tho benefit OF trade
and commerce. 9
DOES. NOT PROHIBIT 1T. 81
.srhe Constitution OF the United States
does not prohibit the governments un-
dertakng to construct q system OF
roads, said = Senator Gallinger4. to-day.s
There is nothing In tho Constitution to
prevent the national governments CO.
operating With the States In road build
ing and SO far as public policy Is con
oerned \. that is. a question which will
have to beasettled by the people OF the
country, IT WAS not cons dered gfooc.d
policy until Very lie entlye for the Y gov
ernmenti.to undertake to rdeliver mail to
peop;, living In the rural districts, but
II has been found upon trial to- be very
useful. very economical. and IN every
way beneficial. Forty or fifty years ago
the government began delivering mall
to the people living in the; cities. while
the people In the country were dlscrimi-
mated a gainst only because 1t was not
discovered until recently that It wa
good policy'ato deliver mall at the doors
OF residents of the country districts.
NATIONAL, AID NECESSARY.
"Once let-t be understood that the de-
sired result of public road Improvement
can be accomplished through a system
OF cooperation. aided, fostered and en-
couraged BY the general government, and
then let the people express themselves as
to the wisdom Of the plan It Will then
be found that Congress and the Consti-
tuition will not be against. but Will be
for the legislation which Is proposed
with the good roads us the object.
ut Is impossible to secure uniformly
good roads In this country without tho
aid OF the general government contin-
ued the Senator. .Of course there will
be a good road here and there In the
States, but what The country needs Is
good roads In all the States, and no bad
roads anywhere. We have forged to the
front rank of nations In every other
way. Large sums are spent every year
In the improvement OF our rivers and
Earbors. We rank first In our railroad
mileage. and we have progressed mar
velously In manufactures, mining and
the arts and sciences, yet. for the most
part, our roads are In the same condition
In which they were before the war be.
tween the States. Every nation which
has accomplished great things In the
cause OF advancing civilization has built
good roads, and each has followed the
policy OF having tho work done under
the supervision OF the general; govern.
ment.
THE good roads OF tho Romans have
stood for centuries. an object lesson In
good road building.
1.-THE roads OF France and England,
which are n source Of pleasure and profit
to the peopi,, are the work OF the gen
eral government be
VERY BACKWARD
l~rhlnk OF IT, said Senator Gallinger:
1--WE have reduced the cost OF water and
rail transportation almost TO the mini
mum, but the cost OF animal transporta-
tion over the country roads remains
about where It was fifty years ago. II
Is estimated thattit costs the farmers OF
this country billion dollars a year to
haul' their products to the nearest mar.
ket. RI they had good roads this cost
could be reduced one-half, All this saw
Ing would not go to the farmer by any
means, but wou.i so to the farmeraand
! the consumer in about equal proportion,
Thus the people OF the entire country
would be benefited.
NIt Is estimated that there is an aver
ago OF S1a a mile spent In this country
every yenr on improvement Of the roads.
III my State there ls1a township which
has sixty miles or roads. for which the
supervisors appropriate $1,000 annually.
or $40 n mia This sum is so small that
after 1t is spent /, is impossible to tell
what has been done With It. AS II costs
from 5000 to $4,000 a mile to make a
,racadamized road. and as the total as
sessed value Of the property In the town
ship is less than $4,000. the impossl-
biity Of securing any permanent I'M
provement IN these roads without aid
from an outside SOURCE Is easily apparent
'rhe; same Is true Of every State IN this
unlonl !. lis
Street Car Battered.
A FRACTION car was struck by twC
Scnhoa ri Air Line freight cars at Six