The Washington times., 1904-03-13
WANT UNCLE SAM
TO BUILD ROADS
Movement Rapidly Over
comes All Opposition.
WINS IMPORTANT VICTORY
Senate Grants an Increase Of $4,000 in
Appropriation for Ex-
periments.
WINS IMPORTANT VICTORY

The n1Ovement in favor Of a national
appropriation 10 aid in the building Of
roads appears to be making great head
way. This is proven by the number
and enthusiasm of its supporters, and
even more strikingly by the cOnsterna-
ton Of those who are openly or secretly
opposed to the scheme
When the agricultural bill came up in
the national House Of Representative
recently. remarks were made by mum
Der OF speakers which indicated that
letters. petitions, and resolutions de-
manClng the passage OF the BrOwnlow
road bin are coming in from all sec
tons. The same thing happened again
when the bill came up in the Senate.
Senator Bailey. of Texas. who is OPP
posed TO rational aid, said it was easy
70 see what is coming, and made this
significant remark: II will live. II /
live as long as my father has done. to
see Federal officer probably supervis-
ing all the. county roads in this coun-
try
important Victory.
While nose Of the so-caIled good roads
bills have come up for action at either
end Of the Capitol. the friends OF the
road Office In the Department Of Agri-
culture haze scored an important vic
tory In securing in the Senate an in
crease OF $8.0 900 in the appropriations for
road investigations and experiments. in
GLIDING tina building Of ob1ect-lesson
roads
This is national aid on a small scale.
But it is OF great Importance from an
educational point Of view. Heretofore
this object-hsson work has been con-
Quoted IN the following manner: An
MIL 30 -
ment station or agricultural college. or
by road Cfn0als or pubhc-spiritsd citi-
zens OF SOME progressive community
asking the Government to cooperate in
the building Of a short stretch of road.
The Govenment usually furnishes moth
Ing more than an engineer or an expert
10 make plans and supervise the work.
Road making machinery is usually fur
nished flee Of charge by The manufac-
turers fer the sake OF the advertise
ment II gives Them. The railroads also
take land and transport the ma
ehinery tree. The institution or com
munity making the application has to
foot the bills for labor and materials.
Benefts Derived.
Among the BENEFITS flowing from such
work are - that it gives an excellent
opportunity to Investigate and test the
various local materials: % that IL gives
the people Of Gnat locality a lesson in
the methods of road building and in the
Use Of road m sterials and machinery ;
and CD that the building Of short piece
Ct good road Us tally leads TO the build
ing Of large Mileage Of improved road
n the vicinity To have Uncle Sam
come into community and help build
a good read. be it ever so short. seems
10 arouse grear popular interest and
stimulate local aTOrt. IL is claimed by
those who know most about the results
Of the work alTeady done that IN no
other direction Dies the Government ac-
complish so much with so little outlay
But the opponents OF national aid are
afraid that Object-IessOn roads are only
Il stepping stone D. national aiG of vast
y greater dimensions. and in this they
are probably rigfE. However that may
be, IL appears certain that object-lessOn
road building vii be carried on next
year 10 a larger extent than ever be-
fore Many applications are now on file
in the Department OF Agriculture. and
many more are expected