The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1905-06-08
ROAD IMPROVEMENT.
COLONEL POPE ON GOOD HIGHWAYS
IN AMERICA.
Advocates state and Federal Aid In
Road BuiidinE-specinl Bonds For
Raising Funds-what the Farmers
Have Been Taught.

roads, writes Colonel Albert a. Pope In
IIarper's Weekly. For many years we
have expended liberal sums Of money
for the betterment Of rivers and har-
bors, and the results accomplished are
commcndablc, but we must not lose
sight OF the fact that great majority
of the people live away from the coasts
and waterways, in regions where the
necessity for good highways is i'm.
perHtiye.
IN many cases these people need the
appropriations and national aid great
deal more than those dwelling nearer
the scaboard or on streams that teen
with industry. The highways are the
natural feeders to railways. and i'm.
provcments on them materially In
crease both Interstate and international
commerce. If our government has
seen TT TO be liberal In river and har-
Dor work, It Is reasonable to expect
that the building and maintenance of
public highways must demand the
same attention. There Is an interde.
tendency here which cannot be over.
looked by those who analyze this ques.
tion Alright
IL has long been mooted question as
to what Is the best method OF raising
funds for the construction Of public
highways, but know Of no better way
than for state and federal government
to Issue special bonds for the purpose.
Three per cent fifty year bonds Of this
kind would find an immediate market,
and they could he paid by a sinking
fund of 2 per cent per nnnum, which
would mean that there would be charg-
cd against this Indebtedness per cent
per annum to be provided for by taxa
ton. Such bonds could be Issued from
time TO time as the work progressed. so
that funds would always be available
up to the limit of the bonded indebted.
ness agreed upon.
There Is n trait I'm American charac-
ter which makes us ultra conservative
on some issues, especially where long
established custom causes us to travel
In ruts so deep that IL is difficult TO
leave them.
For years the Inhabitants Of the rural
districts of our country deceived them
selves In believing that the best. and by
that Is meant the cheapest, way to pay
n road tax was to work It out by
definite quota OF days labor on the
highways. 1t took far reaching and
aggressive educational campaign to
persuade them that the old method OF
road building and repair was unneces-
sarlly costly and thoroughly ineffec-
tual. Nor was this reformation well
started until some communities had
made practical demonstration OF the
actual value of good highways to those
who depend on the soil for living.
In working out his road tax the farm
er chung to the idea that dollar saved
was as good rs dollar earned, and at
the same time he lost sight Of the tru-
Ism that 1t is good business policy to
invest dollar which will bring back
two. Once the farmer was shown by
object lessons that good highways,
passable the year round were essential
to profitable handling OF farm prod
ucts he freely expressed establishment
at having been fooled by the methods
Inherited from his ancestors.
This educational work, which in its
inception called for great energy and
the liberal expenditure OF time and
money, was later on helped by both
state and federal government. An ap-
preparation was made by congress for
the purpose Of collecting and dissent
mating information on road building
and repair, road materials and other
kindred topics. AS result the farm
ers learned that to build roads proper
ly, though apparently expensive, was
in reality an economic measure. They
were led to see that the highways were
natural feeders Of railways and that 1t
was as much Of detrlment to have
produce snowbound or mudbound on
the farm as to have freight congested
on the railroad. They comprehended
the difference In cost between hauling
Il ton mile on good and bad roads.
and they realized, too, that with pass
able roads the year round the hauling
to station and other shipping points
could be done to advantage out of sea-
son when draft animals were not need
ed for blowing or harvesting.
These few paragraphs will indicate
In outline the manner In which this
great reform was started by agitation
and fostered by education until the
question Is not, "Shall we have good
roads" but "How can we best secure
and maintain them"
Experience has taught us the valua-
BILE lesson that highways must be con-
structed and cared for under skilled SUI
pervlslon. This point Is emphasized by
the fact that the demand for trained
road engineers is constantly increasing.
and to meet 1t our educational lnstitu-
lions and colleges are Offering regu-
lar course of study to ut students for
this important work. A number Of
states have appointed highway COM
missions, whose duty is to suitably
provide for the expenditure Of money
for state highways.
Though the methods of procedure in |
various states differ, 1t Is generally adj
mitted that one of the best plans is to |
complete sections Of state roads In each |