River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-09-17
GOV. DAvIDSON'S SPEECH.

Gentlemen of the State Good
Roads Association regret that l
am unable to be with you in person
to tell you that think that your as.
soci ation is working along a good
line. l thing that the subject of
better roads is, and should be, of as
great interest to farmers and mer-
chants and all classes of people as
any other public question that has
been brought to their attention for
many years.
l 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 paving for the roads that will
benefit them. 1t is not right that
the farmer alone should pay the
whole cost as he practically does at
this time. But know you believe
that the state should do this or you
would not be assembled as you are.
l feel that it is necessary that the
control of road building should be
left with the people, but l also be-
lieve that it is necessary that the
State of Wisconsin have some sort
of supervision 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 compul-
sorry about building good roads, but
wherever any community is pro-
gressive enough to want to have
creditable roads it should be as
sisted by the state.
| am familiar with the movement,
and have been for the last fifteen
years, and of whatever assistance l
can be l will give readily. Let
every dollar be properly expended
for the best interests of the whole
people. l do not think it would be
wise to increase our road 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 legisla-
tnFe which passes &C. w for state
aid must be very careful, because
trouble will result if matters are
left SO that any member can engi-
neer it so as to help only the people
in his immediate district. The law
must be so drawn that the poorest
town will be able to take advantage
of the bounty of the state, and it
u1uSL dISO NC ~ al dA1S ecu ludI IAO
strong towns cannot take all the
money the state has to offer. There
must be system devised under
which there will be no unnecessary
state officers, or expensive COM
mission. We want just as few as
we can have to see that the states
money is properly expended.
l thoroughly believe that the state,
the county, and the town 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 develop a sys-
tenn in which there are few highly
efficient state employees who can
work through local man in each
county. This county official should
also be elected for his ability as
road builder. In this way only will
we begin to see results as we should
for the millions of dollars we are
spending on our roads every year.