Mexico weekly ledger., 1906-03-08
GooD ROADS,
Wallace Bassfcrd Writes From
Washington Fayoring This
Improvement.

To the Editor OF the LsedRer.
WASHINGTON, d. O., March A.
Al several different times In the
last few years l have scattered good
roads literature over Audrain county.
/ am very glad to see that road condi-
lions in AudraiD, together with the
efforts Of the Alton railroad, have
aroused the people on this subject l.
have Just sent 4 requisition to the
Agricultural Department, signed by
Congressman Clark, for 500 copies-ai
two bulletins, one entitled Good
| Roads for Farmers and the other,
earth Roads One hundred OF each
will be sent TO each Mexico newspaper;
100 to the county clerk and 100 to Mr.,
IS. Z. Emmons. This. viii secure good
distribution.
i have read Mr.. Burch's well-writ-
ten article with interest. he wants
the Federal Government, the State,
and the farmer TO join hands in build
lug the roads. AS the farmer is pay
ing taxes b both State and National
Governments, il would be merely a
case OF putting his band In his pocket
three times. Now, in view Of the fact
that the makers OF our present Mis-
souri, Constitution had been driven in
to an extremely conservative state OF
mind by the Drake Constitution,
which had just been declared by the
United States Supreme Court TO be
CONTRARY to the spirit OF our insthu-
%tions,n they made it impossible for
the Legislature to appropriate money
for road building. We are thus left
with only two things to considerable
Federal government and the taxpayer.
At the present time Congressman
Brownlow, Of Tennessee. has in Con.
gress a bin proposing to appropriate
twenty-four millions of dollars to build
roads-merely as a beginning. The
bill will not pass any time soon. The
best reason why it will not pass is be-
cause the revenue produced by the
Dingley tariff law does not pay the
running expenses of the Government
the shortage in the last three years
being about fifty millions of dollars
The consequence is that Congress II
not enacting new legislation that will
increase the deficiency Of the reye'
nues.
But, some win say, this deficiency
may cease to appear after a year OF
two, and that there may be a good
surplus in two or three years from
now. Suppose that is true, and this
bill is passed, how much road would
it build for US in Audrain county
This appropriation would be divided
among the Congressional districts
which would probably be the mosi
equitable way to divide it; there are
now 1856 OF these districts, averaging
200, 700 population to the district a
the time Of the last census As thu
Government expends, on an average
about 5000 per mile for frst-class ma
cadam road, surveyed, graded, laiC
with three sizes OF rock in three diff
ferent layers, the coarsest at the bot
tom, the finest on top, and all ROLLED
separately, 1t is easy TO figure out tina
this appropriation would allow tn,
building Of slightly less than twely'
and a half miles Of road for each Con
gressional District. In the Nlntl
Missouri DIEtrict, with its ten counties
each county would be entitled Il
about one and o~ne-fourth miles Of ma
cadam road. Would it be possible u
get twenty-per ceut OF the voters o
any county to agree as to where tina
stretch OF road should be built?
think not.
Another phase OF 1t: ut doesn'
take long to calculate that 1t woult
cost more TO macadamize the countr.
roads OF Missouri than the sum tota
of the assessed valuation OF the State
great and rich and full of resources a
she is
To-day 1t seems to me there is but
one recourse open to US, that Of drain
ing and dragging the dirt roads W,
have. After they have been worked
by this method for several years and
established, with good side drainage
surface drainage and concrete culvert
it will be well 10 consider doing some
thing looking toward the permanenc.
of such conditions. While no expert
ments with crude oil have been mad
on the Missouri dirt roads, to m!
knowledge, it has been found very use
full In California, Texas and Kansas
ISprinkling the roads with crude OF
during the dry season, on their soils
renders them hard, smooth aud dust
less and greatly facilitates surface
drainage.
Another very important agent II
making good dirt roads is the broal
wagon tire--it tonly helps the roat
but is easier on the team. 10 som
of the states IL is unlawful to use tire
narrower than a certain prescribeC