Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-06-29
NEBRASKANS VISIT GOOD ROADS 5itiN
BETTER BUSINESS SAYS SECRE.
TARY MEIKLE, OF SEATTLE.
Secretary of the Seattle Chamber of
Commerce Gives a Sensible Talk
on Good Roads, at the Portland
Convention. Better Roads More
Business.

In an address at the National Good
Roads convention held in Portland, Mr.,
James :. -.eikle, secretary of the Seattle
Chamber OF Commerce said:
"While we are talking of good roads
the people of the United States are pay
ing at least $500 900 900 year to the bad
road fund. In other words, the excessive
cost, the loss of time. the wear and tear
on horses, vehicles and equipment in
transporting the prolncts of the Ameri-
can fields, farms, fore SITS, orchards,
mines, mills and factories to the rail-
road stations or to the markets, aggre
gates more than half billion dollars
each year.
"We pride ourselves on our American
business sagacity and foresight, and
often fiatter ourselves that we lead the
world in these respects. But, if we cite
the building of public highways, in the
greater part Of our common country, as
an example of our business methods, it
would not only make US ridiculous in the
eyes Of the people Of other countries, but
it would indicate that we ought to nave
larger institutions for the care of the
feeblaminded. This is true particularly
Of many men who sit in the legislative
bodies Of the states of the Union, and
even in the halls of congress. and if
their views upon the subject of good
roads are to be taken as fair criterion
of their average intelligence, it would be
more appropriate to place them under
guardianship than to place them in office.
"The experience Of the people in my
county Is the same as that of the people
in other sections of the country. We
elect good men to Office, and they do
the best they can with the money. Tiey
work earnestly and conscientiously to
make the money 20 as far as possible,
but the results are unsatisfactory, not
only to them, but to everybody else.
Why? Because we have no rational road
laws. It is the fault of the legislative
bodies in refusing to exercise common
business judgment in the location and
construction of roads and in maintaining
the short.sighted policy of making only
temporary improvements.
'In the first place, there should be
legislation which would enable the peo-
pie in the country to form improvement
districts for the construction OF roads
in the same manner as the residents of
cities form improvement districts for the
purpose of grading, paving and other
wise improving their streets. There
should be provision for appropriating
the cost OF permanent roads among the
people OF the district and county, and
the state, so that the burden would be
equally distributed, because the county
and the state derive large incidental
benefit from the increase of the taxable
value of the property OF the district.
"The great fault in the present road
system in my state is that the money
is spent very largely upon
temporary work, or in makeshift con.
struction. This is necessarily so, because
all of the roads must oe kept open and
passable, even it they are not good. l
believe that this condition is true in
most Of the states of the Union, and as
long as it exists three-four,hs of the
money expended on roads will be lost.
'If the local improvement plan should
be adopted, the local Improvement bends
could be issued 20 raise sufficient funds
to make permanent roads at once 1t the
bonds were made upon the twenty years.
payment plan, the annual payments
would scarcely exceed the local road tax
under the present system. THE burden
would be light and the saving in trans
portation would pay the cost ten times
over.
"Good laws alone will not build good
roads. We must have the hearty sup
port OF all the people and to get that sup
port we must carry on vigorous cam.
paign OF education. Not 80 much an
education as to the best methods of
building roads. OF the best materials to
be used, but an education as to the ad-
vantages to be gained by having good
roads, and the value of such roads as an
investment. Make the people see that
cheap transportation is the primer factor
in making business undertaking profit.
able in nearly every productive industry
and particularly in farming, an, h'lf Of
the work will be accomplished"
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