The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1905-10-19
GOOD ROADSOU OUTLOOK
HOW HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT Is
HAMPERED AND KEPT DOWN.

HAMPERED AND KEPT DOWN.
I. w. Hardyyicke Says Big Manufac-
turers of Roadmaking Machinery
Do Not Want Good Roads-Vfews Of
One Opposing Organization.
There seems never to have been any I
well centereI general movement on the .
part of the people Of the United States.
big and go-ahead-ative as they are in
every other form of Improvement, to /
build good roads, says l.. W. Hard /
vicke in the Auto Advocate and Coun- /
try Roads. AS a nation they have
totally neglected one of the most vital !
internal helps to themselves until with |
in the very recent time. AT present, |
however, l am pleased to note there
are few active workers-honest work
ers, mean. men who want good roads
for the general benefit that good roads
will do the country, and not for their
own personal gain-engaged In the laud-
able effort of trying to lift US out of the
mud. But there are only a few, and
those few need help if anything of con-
sequence is to be accomplished.
True, congress has a couple of bills
before it begging an appropriation
large enough to build about half the
roads needed in any one state, but l
doubt il even the paltry sum asked for
will be granted, at least for some time
to come. Why won't they do it? you
ask
Simply because there Is no general
influence back of the good roads prop
osition. There are no powerful and
well organized marine interests knock
ing at the nations treasury for money
for good roads. The people have not got
together on the subject. That's the
chief reason why congress hasn't done
anything and isn't likely to so long as
there is no concentrated movement to
back 1t up in making the expenditure,
to justify it in pointing the way and
setting the example to states and coun-
ties, townships, cities, villages and ham,
lets that 1t Is to their own best interests
to build good roads as quickly as they
can get at it.
But there is another reason why the
building Of good roads in the United
States has been hampered and hindered
and kept down. The big manufactur
ers of roadmaking machinery, at least
some Of them, to my personal knowl
edge, don't want really good roads.
And they don't like the Idea of gen.
eral movement on the part Of the peo-
pie to bring about organization. They
would prefer that their old tactics re-
main In vogue-that is to say. they
don't want their present get-rich-quick
plan disturbed.
This Is the way they feel about it, IL
may Judge that w. T. Beatty, the
head Of what is said to be the largest
roadmaking machinery house in the
world, knows what he's talking about
private Office In Chicago he said in eff
feet:
I'VE do not want organization in the
building Of good roads,
was utterly astonished, and asked
why.
"Well, to be frank about It," said
he, III the people of state or county
get together and decide to build big
stretch Of road the chances are they'll
go at 1t In businesslike manner.
They'll buy a big stone crusher, a
scraper or two and such other nipple
ments as are necessary and work day
in and day out until the road is CON-
pleted, after which the same tools will
be kept in constant use elsewhere by
themselves or sold to another COM
munity that wants to build a road
way"
Even then couldn't comprehend
what the man was driving at Would
not he have made sale involving no
small amount Of money? And l asked
IL that wasn't just what he was in
business for.
I see," he said, there are whole
lot Of things In the roadmaking bust
ness that you know very little about"
admitted my ignorance, and he con.
tinued by saying:
why. don't you see, in that case we
would only sell one set Of tools to do O
large amount Of work, whereas with
out organization we could sell severa
sets. We have over 100 hundred sal
aired statesmen throughout the country
selling principally to townships or road
districts, Just figure up the possibl,
sales In road machinery where the
work is left to the township official.
themselves. It's hundredfold greater
than would be the case If the states
and counties were fully organized ant
building their roads on business ba
sis. AS 1t is now, we can sell almos
every township scraper or some 9th
er tool, giving them five years at pc
cent in which to pay the purchas,
price. The average township officia
Will work a scraper a few days eacl
month, throwing little dirt to the to,
OF the road, and then abandon the ma
chine in some convenient nearby field
exposed to the elements. Usually be
fore the five years are up the nipple
ment is out Of commission by reason o
this carelessness. Here's where 1t is al
easy matter for one of our statesmen
to come along, pick up the old ma
chine and sell the township a new one
allowing liberal discount for the oil,
ONE
The influence of company havin
hundred special representatives scat
tered throughout the country and hay
Ing on its books the names Of ever
township road trustee In the Unite
States must be tremendous power i
retarding real organization for the BET
torment Of our roads. am indee
sorry such deplorable condition o
things exists, and unless some cor