Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-01-09

dollars to the towns along that river
Throughout the state. n corresponding
increase i'm supply was noted. The
report shows plants in almost every
stream in the state where the waters
are permanent. 1t also shows SCI
applicants supplied with fish by the
commission. The commission desires
to equip small station at Urbana fol
the artificial propa CATION of pike, vel
low perch and such fish as are moi
Indigenous to our waters and as car
be artificially pr6pagated i'm the
streams Of our state. The United
StNes commission has offered tc
furnish such skilled assistants as may
be needed in the intalling of the plant
This work will entail but small add.
tfonal expense in comparison with the
results obtained
1 recommend careful inquiry into
the request Of the commission and ex-
press the hope that the legislature may
be able to make such appropriations as
viii augment the usefulness of the
commission and increase the value of
this important industry.
question OF GOOO NtOaOS.
call your attention to the condition
Of the country roads in this state. In
this direction our state has made less
progress than in other matters of
great public Importance. Little perma-
nent advancement has been made since
the organization of our state in the
matter of road building. The condi-
tions existing are primitive. Not more
than per cent. of the entire mileage
Of our country roads is permanently
improved SO as to be suitable for traf
nc at all seasons of the year.
1t is estimated that it costs - cents
per mile per ton to haul farm prod
ucts to market over earth roads This
Is at least double what it costs the
farmer i'm those European countries in
which they have good roads. Expert
ment has shown that a horse can draw
twice as much on a well-made gravel
road and four times as much or
smooth stone road as on n well-made
earth road. The difference in cost of
moving crops in European countries
and the cost here. which is 1cEs cents
per ton per mile, multiplied by the
number of tons of our prod.
uctS, constitutes an enormous and
useless tax upon our principal indus
tries. The loss involved is paid for
by our whole people. because the vast
bulk of all the products of our state
must be first moved over our bad coun-
try roads to railroads and markets
We can better realize what this means
when we consider that 1t costs as
much to deliver bushel of grain ten
miles to the railroad in Illinois as il
then costs to carry it thousand
miles by rail
Local Authorities Hampered.
Other states, confronted by like
have made greater efforts
than Illinois to remedy them. In our
state the local authorities are ham
pered by an insufficient supply of
money and lack of suitable material
for making permanent improvement
in the roads, and too frequently by
a lack of scientific knowledge of road
building. The labor performed main
tains for one season only a pasSable
condition of the rOadbed. 1t is esti-
mated that 100000 is expended an
nually i'm this state for this purpose,
with little or no permanent advan-
tage.
1t is not necessary to advance any
argument to show that the burden of
road making should not fall on the |
highway. 1t is state road. Its
and Improvement is a |
matter of general concern. Other |
states are attempting to solve this |
problem by what is known as the |
state aid' plan. in which the burden
8 born by the whole people. !,
Within the past ten years Maine,
New Hampshire. Vermont. Massachu.
'etts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New
York, Pennsylvania, Delaware and
California have established highway
and are assisting the
towns and townships by
state aid"
Departments Of highways for the
Of information regarding the
and maintenance of good
Dads, and the devising Of plans to eff
ect a beginning of such work, have
,een established in California;, Della
ware, Idaho, Maine, Maryland, Mime
ota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska,
Iew Hampshire, North Carolina, Ore
,on and Tennessee.
Good Roads Commission.
In Illinois, the last Legislature en-
cted a law for the appointment of
'oods roads commission to. Investigate
he question OF good roads and deter
nine the best methods by which the
quitably distributed among all the
eople, such as by federal. state and
ounty aid. That commission was di-
ected to report its findings 10 this as
emily. together with bill embody-
NJ the most advanced thought on the
ubiect OF road building.
The report will be submitted to you.
n considering the recommendation
Inch they make. / desire to direct
our attention TO the feasibility of the
GO Of convict In b0r IN connection with