Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-08-31
CANADA is AHEAD OF US.
Roads ard Road Laws Of Our North
ern Neighbor Are Far Su-
perior to Our Own.

It is subject for frequent comment on
the part of travellers that the roads of
Europe are far superior to those Of the
United States; and this result is gen.
orally attributed to the system of gov
eminent aid and supervision which pre-
walls in nearly all European nations.
But it is not so generally known that
our nearest neighbor, Canada, is also
ahead of us, not only in the character
of the roads, but in the matter of road
legislation
Hon. A. W. Campbell, highway COM
missioner of Ontario, is al enthusiast
on the subject of good roads, and at the
same time very able and practical pub
lie official. He is quite we'll known to
the good roads people of the United
States, as he has attended and addressed
a number of important conventions In
this country. In recent report he says:
Good roads are essential to the full
development of agriculture. In coun-
try such as Ontario, dependent upon
agriculture, this means that good roads
are of very great Importance to the
towns and cities as we'll. Good roads
are not benefit to any one class of the
community. They are of universal
value. This is matter of which too
narrow view has been taken in On
tariO. If We must have canals and rail-
ways, then We must have good country
roads. 1t has been taken for granted
that if the country as whole construct
ed canals and subsidized railways, the
common roads could take care of them
selves. But this has not been the case.
"The broader aspect of the question
has recently been given prominence by
the decision of the provincial govern
ment to appropriate $1,ooo,oo for road
improvement. This, for lack of better
name, has been termed government
aid or assistance 1t is a recogni-
ton of the value of good roads to every
citizen of the country, and just effort
on the part of the government to CO.
operate in procuring them.
''The object of the present measure
is not so much to aid by the gratuitous
distribution of money, but has for it's
aim a nobler purpose While it aims to
encourage the doing of a work which is
acknowledged by all as being an impor-
tant and necessary service it's prime
object is to equalize and tighten the
cost. The unfairness and injustice of
the present system of taxation for high
way construction is so noticeable as to
be matter of wonderment that some
step of this kind has not been ere this
devised by government, or compelled
by the people.
"The government is only exercising
its rightful function as part of the ad-
| ministrative system in providing por-
ton of the cost of making roads and
distributing the money among the diff
ferent municipalities entitled to it.
This function can be performed by the
provincial government only"
In Nova Scotia nearly Is years ago
the provincial government began the
appropriation of funds to improve the.
! roads, and the plan has proven entirely
successful where the old system of de-
pending on the local communities waa
a complete failure.
| Even away out in British Columbia
there are many fine roads which ara
said to be "the delight of tourists All
these are built and kept up by the gov
eminent