The Kemper herald. (Scooba, Miss.) 1875-1908, 1905-10-19

I u,rxus y Government aid in inn
o wv Q proving the highways OF
q y the country? The answer
HON to this question is Il logl-
cal one. The policy of the Government
should be to so use the funds placed
ut its disposal by the people for ma
tional purposes and to so shape its tis-
cal and other legislation as to promote
the best interests of the people. 1t is
hardly susceptible of controversy that
the thing which will do most to pro-
mole the further prosperity and de-
velopment of the country is a S '3tem
OF improved highways reaching out
into the farming districts. AS has
been wisely said, city Development
will take care OF itself. Indeed, it has
gone on in the past at the expense OF
rural development principally because
the great burden upon agricultural
communities of wretched public roads
has kept back agricultural develop
ment. The Government has recog-
niEed its obligation to aid III further
ing means of transportation by the
help it has extended to railway and
water facilities. The Improvement of
our highways will mean the rounding
out OF transpo. tation facilities in the
country, the giving to remote districts
adequate means of reaching markets
and distributing centres, and perform
the final work in national progress
and prosperity. These are some OF
the reasons why the Federal Govern
ment should and is improving the
highways. The Observation-Disclosures
bills, in House and Senate, point the
way to most happy national results.
Senator Latimer epitomizes some rea-
sons why the Government should rec
ognize its obligation in the matter
which we think well worth reproduce
ton. They are:
First. Because the history Of road
building demonstrates that a complete
system of public roads has never been
constructed in any country except by
the aid of the General Government or
that country, and during the 100
years of our national life the United
States has not proven an exception to-
this rule.
Second. Because the of
the Government are raised largely
upon articles consumed by all the
people, thereby distributing taxation
equally. and as all the people should
contribute to the construction and i'm
provement of the roads, it is only by
Federal aid that this can be accom-
.plished.
Third. Because it is the duty of the
Federal Government to bear its just
proportion of the expense for the con-
struction and improvement of the
roads which it uses for the delivery of
the mails and for military purposes in
time of war, and which are the AFTER
les of interstate commerce.
Fourth. Because better roads are a
national necessity; they closely con-
Germ the general welfare Of the nation,
and are therefore a proper object OF
national aid.
Fifth. Because the money in the
national treasury belongs to the peo-
pie and should be expended for their
benefit in a manner which will accom-
plish the greatest good to the largest
number, and because the power to
borrow money at low rates OF interest,
if it be found necessary to supply the
money in this way. enables the Gen
eral Government to undertake this I'M
proyement with greater advantage
than the States or the people.
In the foregoing statement we have
the proposition for national aid boiled
down to the practical point OF clear
understanding.