Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1904-12-15
AID IN HIGHWAY BUILDING
Congressman Brownlow Thinks
Government Should Help.

an tuut part VI uIc cvuntry wnvn
was first settled tho roads were trails
or paths which went from the settle
ments into the Wilderness and natural /
ly went from point to point over the
shortest route without regard to hills.
They went straight, Later on horses
were ridden and afterward driven over
these trails, and so tho wagon road
was made without regard to finding an
easy grade, good surface or drainage |
|. In the west the railway was built be
fore the wagon road, and the wagon
road was an enlarged path, or trail,
which led from the farm In straight
line to the railway station. II frequent
ly followed the section line without re-
gard to hills. swamps, grades or drain.
age. 1t is not surprising that roads
made'in this manner, without any en-
glneering skill or practical knowledge
of road building, were bad when made
and continue to be Just as bad at the
present time.
This country, II not the richest, is al
most the richest I'm the world, yet II has
the poorest wagon roads OF any coun.
try In the world. During the past thir.
ty years there have been built 1872, ,S65
miles Of steam railway In this country,
and We now have 203, 1873 miles Of rail
road. During the past fifteen years we
have built 23,134 miles of trolley road.
mostly In cities and towns. This troll
ley road has, by giving quick transit,
immensely improved values in cities
and towns and in their nelghborhood.
Where good roads have been built
farm values have improved, because
It Is easier to get produce to market,
and life is made pleasanter and hap
pier for the owner OF the land Ex.
copt where few states have given
state aid in building roads, the farmer
has had TO bear the whole cost OF build
ing and maintaining them, although
every ton Of produce going TO cities
and towns has to go over these roads.
and the cities and towns. az rule,
| contribute nothing toward their cost
or maintenance.
During the past forty years there
has been an immense improvement In
| railway. trolley and water trunsporta.
ton, and freight rates have been low
cred. Our railways are every year
spending millions In improving their
roads and terminal facilities, but In
transportation by wagons ON roads
there has been hardly any improve.
ment Forty years ago II cost % cents
per ton per mile to carry farm produce,
| lumber, etc, on a wagon road, and II
costs the same today
1t ls not the farmers fault, but II IL
his misfortune, that, while there has
been great advance In railway and
water transportation, to which the ma.
tional government has largely contrib.
uted, he has not improved transporta.
tion on his roads, II ia not his fault
that he has seen the neghborlng towns
grow richer while his lands have not
improved In value. lie does not want
to haul his produce through the mud
and up steep hills, and he would not
do II II he could help II.
The reason he has not n good, smooth
road, free from ruts, stones and mld
without steep hills, connecting his
farm with his market town is simply
because he cannot afford to pay for
It unalded. He has not, ana never
will have, the money to pay for good
roads. He Is quite willing TO pay foi
part Of the cost and In New Jersey,
Massachusetts,, New York and Con
nectlcut and in n few other states the
state has come TO his help by the sys-
TEN called state aid I'm building
roads.
France has 23,O03 miles Of wagon
roads which are built and maintained
by the national government ns nation.
al roads at the expense Of the nation.
Italy has about 5000 mleS OF wagon
ronds built and maintained in the
snme way by the national government.
Why should not the United States
build national ronds 10 develop It's
informal resources IN the interest Of
= agricultural productsi
Some Of the states have adopted the
principle OF state aid TO build roads.
why should not the federal government
glyo national aid for this purposel The
. United States government appropriate
cd in 1903 S32,5i0,1g9 for river and
harbor improvement, which goes 10
the benefit Of commerce and largely TO
q help cities Little Of this large sum
Is spent In the interior states except
I'm the Mississippi delta. II has spent
many millions In building postolIices
; and federal buildings in nenrly every
large city OF the Union. This all goes
l 20 help tho cities and creates de
- mand for food without providing the
e farmer with roads to reach his mar
? ket IL has protected manufacturing
by a tnrin until we have become the
! greatest manufacturing nation IN the
T. world. This protective tarlff has built
I up the cities. pays the veterans
D and their families pensions which
amount TO about SlI00O0,O0O year.
: But what has the national govern
, ment done for the farmer7 II has rs
tablishcd agricultural colleges, expert
b ment stations, made the head Of th,
7 bureau Of agriculture n cabinet officer
Q created free rural mail delivery IN Ger
e tain sections. but after showing n maj
bow 20 double the product Of hls farm
4 II has left him unable to market IA,
produce he has created because of th,
d bad condition OF the wagon roads.
q Az n number Of states have believed
Il wise TO aid In the building Of roads
I would Il not De wise and right for tb'
o United States government to do 80 ais,
Il and to aid the farmer Just Ms II hal
aided commerce and the ctesl
There can be but one answer 10 thi
!, question. and II Is yes" Walter +
! Browniow. Member of Congress From
Tennessee.
Rsyolu ion Imminent.
II A sure sign Of approaching reyol
and serious trouble in your system /
| narvouauaaa ataouipgt uaaa gr afomafl