Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1904-03-04

The most important measure now |
pending in Congress is the question of
government aid for good roads as en-
bodied in the Brownlow bill.
At first thought it would seem that
everyone should favor it as it will GER
tainly ensure the building of thousands
of miles of permanent roads if it be-
comes law.
Briefly stated IS 900, 900 is appropriated
yearly for three years, and each state
will receive its proportion according to
population, provided an equal sum is
appropriated by the state.
But who is to pay for these good roads?
The people, of course, finally and al
ways. One half comes from indirect
taxation, viz: Taxation in the shape of
either tariff duties or internal revenue
imposts. AS these are not now suffi-
cient to pay the running expenses of the
National government it is plain they
will have to be increased and every one
will have to pay their share in the in
creased prices paid on all imposted
articles like tea, coffee, sugar, cottons,
woolens, etc. etc. The half contributed
by the state must come from direct tax
alton and it would make quite an addi-
tional burden for this state to raise
$3.50, 600 year by direct taxation.
The matter is well set forth in letter
by prominent Republican to the St
Adams Messenger. Read it carefully
and give this paper your views on the
subject in short letter not exceeding
100 words.
"Shall our delegation in Congress
support this measured
81 know your great interest in every
thing that concerns the improvement
and upbuilding of Vermont, and for that
reason write you about a measure that
is before Congress and is attracting
great deal of attention. That is on the
Brownlow and Latimer bills providing
that the government Join with the states
in building good roads. The bill calls
for IS O00 900 year for three years, but
of course that is only small beginning
and is intended as an entering wedge.
1t provides that it is to be distributed on
lllt DtSlS VI IjODuldllOlls tAOtBb Oildb llO
state is to receive less than $3.50, 900,
and every state must raise as much as
the government furnishes.
At first thought it is a taking measure,
for every one is in favor of good roads.
| am ready to admit there are two sides
to the question. We have expended a
great amount of money for the improve
ment of waterways, many of them of
very little importance-of much less
importance than good highways would
be-but the contention is that these are
natural transportation and often inter-
state routes
"This policy of appropriating for the
improvement of rivers has been carried
to an extreme in many cases: has grown
prodigiously and is apparently likely to
grow, and the benefits have not been by
any means equally distributed.
OF course Vermont has had a very
small share; but it seems evident to the
commence on the policy of appropriating
for roads that it will go far beyond the
river and harbor work and will be very
unequal in its operation.
The South and extreme West, as you
know, have practically no roads-noth-
ing but trails-and they will be solid for
for measure of this kind, and no one
can foresee the end. When you look at
the area of the country where there are
practically no roads, where very little
money of the states and counties has
been spent for roads, and that little has
been merely for cheap repairs, and COM
pare that area with the northeast section
where we have been at work upon our
roads for from one to two hundred
years, you will see how unjustly the
measure would work.
Take our own case, We should raise
S250,000 "A year with an equal amount
from the government, until our roads
were in good condition. or until we We're
tired of the appropriation.
Say we raise it for ten years. 1t
would be s., 600, 900 and that would give
us thousand miles of macadamized
road; but then this policy would go on
and the public funds would be used for
fifty or hundred years, and we should
have to 90 ON appropriating or else lose
our share of the fund
And after we begin upon roads it is
certain that bridges will soon be in
cluded. In fact it is already talked
{ and one cannot imagine the amount
that would he taken for bridging the
big rivers of the South and West to take
the place of the fords and ferries they
now use.
Then again, why should it be confined
to country roads: The cities yield 9