Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1908-06-13
GOOD ROAD CAMPAIGN
Policy of Construction Favored
by the National Grange.
GOVERNMENTS AID WANTED.
Farmers Ask For National Highway
Commission and For Federal APP
preparations 70 Improve and Main
tain Pubic Roadways.

The national grange. an OrganiHl-
tiOn of farmers in tWcnty-SCvCn states,
with an aggregate membership of near
ly 100000 members, has for Il num-
Der of years advocated the enactment
by congress of legislation creating Il
national highways commission and
making liberal appropriations fOl the
Improvement of the public roads Dur
ing the past year the grange has per
fectcd plans for conducting wide
paign for the purpose of showing the
urgent necessity for the adoption of Il
broad, comprehensive policy Of public
highway Improvement by the various
township, county and state Huthori-
ties and to induce the national govern
mcut to lend its assistance to Il move
ment intended to secure the establish
ment of a complete system of properly
constructed rOHGS in all sections of the
United States
1t is cpmtcndcd 10y the members of
the grangr that the Improvement of
our highways is fully as deserving
of federal appropriations as is the
Improvement of our waterways and
that the work of the proposed national
highways commission would greatly
stimulate the construction of better
roads by the various states. counties
and townships The splendid road SyS-
TEN of France, admitted to he the best
In the world, is declared to h" due
chiefly to the road policy of the French
national government. under which Il
corps of highly trained engineers plan
and direct the work of constructing
and maintaining the principal roads of
that country
The dcplOrabe condition of most of
the roads in the United States, prob
ably the worst in any civilized Coun
try, is generally recognized, ANA ii is
urged by the grange that il is high
time that action should be taken by
the national government to bring Or
der out of the existing chaotic cOnIi-
tiOnS and substitute Il scientific policy
of road construction and improvement
for the haphaZard methods which noN
prevail to so large an extent
The following resolutions, unHnt-
mously adopted 10y the National
grange, give the point of view from
which the farmers regard the question
of federal aid TO public road improve
mcnt:
Whereas, The im2rol omcut OF the high
ways OF the country is matter "i E'n-
tt,,,i,t, ,,3 s,',.,,,,,!,, - ~,
the national government. and
Whereas, The revenue raised by taxes
Pa4d py tHt p'op,e "i t"' country as '
hIn to nurnosns which win benrtit trr
greater number of the taxpayers in an
sections OF the country, and.
t. AN, al Ii
congress ON behalf of river and l:,rbor
improvements that does not apply even
more strongly TO tne Improvement o' our
pI,''ll p,,,1 .r,,'' ~, ,,t,,,,, .,,,,,. f
vors general policy of good roads CON
struction by the various municipalities.
c0QhuGS ana S'','rs' 1,,u, @ ,,, t,,,.,,.,t..,,
e,loctnnnt of lr,isIation bv CONGRESS- maxi
ing liberal federal appropriations for the
improvement OF the Puhhc hIShN"HS Oh
lLe e1"'I"y s,,c1v @ 1ar c,n,,r,s,
NAV prrscribe
Hons. hin II S27 intrnlucrd i'm CON
GROSS ON lam 20 1oOS by Hon Frank
II Currirr of New UampShire, which
omho,,ins fine views of the national
,.ronro ON this suhfprt provides for
tho crn,tinn of i national highWavS
commission and for tbe construction,
f,,nrovou,ont and uoiutnr,nca nf rub
Iic birhv,vs II differs from fine mn
r,ornrs lin. an tb,t suhirrt uow urud-
irg hoforo CONGRESS- i'm th,t If provi,lcS
for tho diro,., nvnnnditurn Of the nro
nosod ,nnrnnri,tiou in road construr.
tilr and ;u,I,rovon,nt hv thn n,tinuoI
,,,,.o,nnont ,rtinr in ro-ourrorion
,,.itb tho .t,t,, ni,h,,.,,s commission or
,tIor ,uth,riti,,. b,,in., suunrvisiou of
tbo nrhIic r,,d. rho ,mnurt of thr
onnrnnri,tion stated in thn hin is $40.
600 ooo to he m,dn ovoilob,a nj the
rota of $40 Ono GOO = vcnr of which mt
Io,,+ c5oo oon +, to IN, .vnrrdnd i'm aoch
stotn ,t tho rotn of NOT .ss than $780,
600 opru,u,.
ut, ,,o,,,i,,r,.. nr tho rr,,un and tho
fornors i'm oonor,I i'm an snctious of
+ho oo,utrr ,ro ,,ignrnueIv dnm,udfno
+hoono.tr,,r+ of this hiu and If fs bn
Iio,.ol th,t II will hocono law i'm thc