Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1905-12-01
GOOD ROADS MOVEMENT.
A Word of Explanation as to What
the Bills in Congress Pro-
pose to Do.

The purpose of the promoters of ma
tional aid to good roads is not to an.
tagonize any local movement any
where. The bill presented by Repre-.
sentative Brownlow, republican. from
tennessee, and the one offered later
in the senate by Hon. A. C. Latimer,
democrat, of South Carolina, are al
most identical in every provision, and
Dill which is going to be passed
sooner or later will be made up of the
two bills referred to-; that is, by rec
onclling the little difference in the
bills. Neither bill proposes any inter
ference in state or county plans for
road improvement neither proposes to
force national aid on any state or COM
munity; both provide that no state
or subdivision of a state can have
any part of the aid contemplated with
out that state or subdivision first agree
to furnish sum equal to the sum ap-
portioned by the government in the
specific case. The purpose of neither
OF the bills can by any stretch be
construed to take road-making and
road improvement out of the hands of
the states or counties; they provide
simply for cooperation of the govern
ment with the states and counties
where the states and counties wish to
take advantage of the law and ask
for that cooperation. The purpose Of
both bills is to aid in and encourage
the establishment of something like
a uniform system of scientifically con-
structed roads in the country. The
movement does not contemplate any
sort of interference in state or county
plans. Under the proposed bills the
states and counties can have help if
they want it; if they don't want it.,
they don't have to take it. The propo-
sition is not new one. Government
aid to highway improvement had its
origin under Thomas Jefferson. Presi-
dent Madison Endorsed it in one of his
later messages to congress. Henry
Clay contended for it in speech In
congress in 1918. John G. Calhoun,
while secretary of war, in 1919, strong
ly Endorsed it in a report to congress
on roads and canals. The great Web
ster acclaimed for it in a speech in
the United States senate in 1880. At
St. Louis in 1903 President Roosevelt
declared that the people had right
to demand this help from the general
government, and on the same occasion,
from the same platform, William Jen-
nings Bryan declared that it was justt
fable on a half dozen or more safe
grounds, which he stated. These were
and are all great and eminent men.
Moreover, in January last the senate
committee made a favorable report on
the measure and. it would have passed
but for want of time.
| Again, the Observation-Disclosures bills
appropriate $24,0O0,000 to be used at
the rate of $8,000,000 year for three
years. No suggestion of bonds about
it, but the money is to come directly
out of the treasury. The revenues OF
the government are largely raised by
duties on consumption, to which all
the people contribute. 1t is believed
that, to the extent Of the appropria-
ton, this proposition would equally
distribute the burden of road improve
ment We all know that the very vel.
TODD do not always pay a fair share
Of taxes; they have way, in in.
stances, of concealing certain things
from assessment. Everything taxable
in the hands of the common people is
always in sight and in this way those
least able to bear it are made to pay
more than a fair share of the burdens
of local government-roadw working, as
well as other things.