Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-09-17

Governor Davidson Believes Con-
StitutiOnaI Amendment Should
be passed to Permit State to
help Farmers Build

Roads.
The following address by Governor
Davidson was read at the Good Roads
Convention held at Milwaukee last
week:
Gentlemen of the State Good Roads
Association: [ regret that [ am I'M
able to be with you to tell you in per-
son that [ think your association is
working along a good line. [ think
that the subject of better roads is, and
should be, of as great interest to
farmers and merchants and all classes
of the people as any other public
question that has been brought to their
attention for many years.
[ think that it is but just and right
that the state should help the farmers
to pay for the better roads which they
need so much. All classes of people
will be benefited and all classes
should therefore join in paying for
the roads that will benefit them. 1t
is not right that the farmer alone
should pay the whole cost as he prac-
tically does at this time. But 7 know
you believe the state should do this
Or you would not be assembled as you
are
feel that it is necessary that the
control of the road building should
be LETT with the people, but [ also be-
leive that it is necessary that the state
Of Wisconsin have some sort of super
vision over the building. 1t should
do this to insure the people that the
money appropriated by the state is
expended in such way that it will do
the most good for all. There should
be nothing compulsory about building
good roads, but wherever any COM
munity is progressive enough to want
to have creditable roads it should be
assisted by the state.
am familiar with the movement,
and have been for the last fifteen
years, and of whatever assistance |
can be l will give readily. Let every
dollar be properly expended for the
best interests of the whole people. |
do not think it would be wise to in
crease our roads taxes under our
present system for we are Wasting too
much as it now is. What we must do
is to work toward a system in which
every dollar will be spent to the best
advantage.
In order to accomplish this, this
question must be left entirely out of
politics, absolutely. The legislature
which passes law for state aid must
be very careful, because trouble will
result if matters are left so that any
member can engineer it so as to help
only the people in his immediate dis
trict The law must be so drawn that
the poorest town will be able TO take
advantage of the state bounty, and it
must also be so arranged that the
strong towns cannot take all the money
the state has to offer. There must be
will be no unnecessary state officers.
or expensive commission-we want
just as few as we can have to see that
the states money is properly expend-
ed,
l thoroughly believe that the state,
the county, and the towns should join
in paying for the roads, and that the
state should not assume entire control
but should work through the counties
in every way possible. We must de-
velope a system in which there are a
few highly efficient state employees who
can work through local man in each
county. This county official should
also be selected for his ability as
road builder. In this way only will
we begin to see the results we ought TO
get for the millions of dollars we are
spending on our roads every year.