The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1904-10-20
In the East.

zs=.====-=75=S II the Inst ten years the
ASl=sSsSS9g question: OF road improve
lllll Il Ni ment has received n good
lll A Mlll deal OF attention. from the
g@sM legislators in the Eastern
states, notably IN Massachusetts Gncs
New Jersey, Careful study of the road
question Ia these States soou deyol-
oped the fact that the countless ana
towlis were doing little and In many
cases natlllna,. and that -tli q. roads.were
gradually becoming instead Of
better. In Massachusetts, the idea was
first conceived Of hcying the State and
civil subdivisions thereof cooperate
in the Improvement OF the roads. A
state law cmbodying this principle was
adopted In New Jersey about the same
time as in Massachusetts. aud 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. EIdridee, Assistant Dlrec-
Tor. Office OF Public Road Inquiries Of.
the United States Department Of Ag.
rlculture. recently made an inspection
nip through the States of Maine, Mas.
sachusetts, Rhode Island. Connecticut
and New York. In an iniutervlew MI
Bldridge had the following to say in
regard TO the road conditions in these
e Il am fully convinced from my re-
cent trip that the roads which have
beea bulltin the East through the ald
Of the States and under the direction Of
blghway COMMISSIONS are the best
roads In the United Stntcs. and are
equal il 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 sklllful
wOrkmen, out of the very best mate
rails, and with American road build.
ing machinery; whereas most Of the
roads that IAhave seen in the old coun.
Try were built by hand. and have
since been maintained in the same
way, N spite Of the long drought
which prevailed throughout the New
England States during the spring and
summer the State roads were firm aud
smooth. aud although 1 personally in.
spccted over 500 miles OF improved
roads, 1 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. Eldrldge was asked IL 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.
II believe" said Mr.. Eldrldge. "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 IL the pres
emit plans and liberal appropriations
are continued it will take many years
to improve all the important highways
in these States, and consequently the
peopleare anxioussto secure any addi-
ilonai aid possble. Tile State High |
wny C0lnmlssipners OF MASSACHUSETTS,
CohnecticuE New York ana New Jei-
sey expressed themselves as being in
favor Of national aid, and believe
that all the good roads people In the
Eastern States are ins favor Of tt
Good Roads Magazine.
ilalli al1rtt losses llly EiatnItontls. aa1t1stsa