Semi-weekly herald., 1908-03-23
GOOD PUBLIC ROADS ARE
A BENEFIT TO A
(William E. Curtis in the Chicago
Record -nerald.J

=
Wilson has been in the cabinet OF
the president of the United States
longer than any other man except
Hernert Gallatin and William Writ.
and he has made every day count
He doesn't put on any airs and he
doe sn't do any Dragging. but, in the
| language of the street, he keeps on
saving wood all the time In other
wor Is, he plows and plants and rails
| es big crops of valuable ideas. With
| the reckoning comes it will be shown
that Secretary Wilson has accomplish
ed more practical good than any man
who ever served the people of the
| United Staes in a cabinet position.
| He has contributed more to the
wealth and prosperity of the nation
than any other public servant and has
introduced and promoted more prac-
| tical improvements among the farm
| ing population than any other Span in
| American history. This is saying a
| good deal, but the proof lies where &
| any inquirer can find it.-in the rec
ords OF the department of agriculture
for the last eleven years, as well as
| in every farming community in the
country The other day / wrote about
his interest in school gardens and his
efforts in promoting the study OF flow
ers and plants and vegetables and the
cultivation of the soil among the
| ~
to tell something of what has been
done Under his direction for the I'M
provement of the wagon roads of the
United States; for Secretary Wilson
has inspired and directed improve
ments which have been worth more
than anyone can calculate to the far. :
mers of the muddy states.
Shortly before Secretary Wilson
came into office a bureau of public
roads was organized in the depart
ment of agriculture, and congress ap-
propfiated a sum of money to pay the
expense OF making an investigation.
but very little was done until after
the Mckinley administration came
into power with Secretary Wilson at
the head of the department. He
srasped at the opportunity to improve
the transportation facilities of the
farmers and with that practical, di-
rect. common sense way he has, he
secured sufficient funds and compe-
tent men and began to push the cru
| gada int pvpry corner of tba apriru1-
tural states. The results have been
remarkable and the impetus which
the movement has taken is gathering
strength every day.
Logan w. Page, chief of the good
roads bureau, called to my attention
the other day the results of a census
by counties which has recently been
completed under his direction of all
the roads in the United States. The !
information was obtained from more
than a hundred thousand different
correspondents from every county of
every state and territory; and the
enumeration shows-a total of 2,151,-f 4
$40 miles of highways capable of al :
lowing a wagon to pass. OF that to-
tai only 1862 miles of road have
been improved.
| Tine best roads in this country are
in the District of Columbia" said Mr..
Page, but they are, of course, limit
ed IN mileage. Massachusetts has
the best of all the states and the
greatest mileage of improved roads
| Connecticut Rhode Island and other
parts of New England follow closely
| after Massachusetts.
"The worst roads are in the South
Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi
| Florida and Arizona. West of the
| Hudson river, Kentucky stands first,
with nearly 10000 miles of macadam.
lied roads. Indiana ranks the highest
of all northern states, with POST
miles of gravel roads and $500 miles
OF macadam. Iowa stands fairly well.
Wisconsin is better, Illinois is begin
| ming to wake up, but Missouri is very
| far behind
New York is doing more than any
c'hNi Hldlt III lue way Oh improve
ment Her Legislature has authorized
the issue of $5O.OOO,OOO in bonds for
road building, to be allotted among
the different counties where the
money is most needed, and to obta, =,
the money each county must pay
proportionate amount. Connecticut
has an admirable state aid plan, and
is doing great real of road building.
The state authorities throughout thA
country are waking up and legislag
lures have voted state aid in one form
or another in Colorado, Connecticut
Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massa.
chusetts, Michigan, Minnesota Mis-
souri, New Hampshire, New Jersey
New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Isl.
and Vermont and Washington In
Illinois the state furnishes the mater.
lai to the highway commissioners in
ehe form of stone crusher by the pris-