Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-06-17

ana the people nave begun clduOTlHa
for more roads, and each succeeding
election for road improvement pur-
poses has been carried by larger majo-
rites. The men who at first opposed
have joined the front ranks Of the ag-
gresSive force. So far as can be aScer-
tanned, no community ever began the
building if stone or gravel roads that
did not continue to build them year
after year.
The only trouble is to get the work
started and started right. Indiana has
the largest mileage Of good roads Of
any State in the Union. Is not Illinois
as well able to have good roads as In
diana Prom a bulletin issued by the
Farmers Good Roads League.
Good Roads and Mental Growth.
Travel is acknowledged to be one of
the greatest educators and a mighty
factor in broadening and developing
the human mind, in fact no education
is complete without travel. Man is
a social being and should come in touch
with his fellow men, not infrequently
but daily, and the constant interchange
Of ideas, opinions, discussion and so
cial intercourse is the condition Of
growth, progress and higher citizen
ship.
There is no factor that interferes
more with these conditions or is 8
greater handicap to mental, moral and
spiritual development than bad roads
and the conditions imposed by them to
a large part Of the community, which
make at times the church, the lecture
platform, social life and intercourse
with friends and neighbors practically
impossible. No one will drive to town
through mud hub deep or over ruts
that may take wheel off unless he Is
obliged to do so. 1t is a trip to be
dreaded With good roads all these
desirable accessories to development
are available, and life takes on a new
meaning.
Every thoughtful person, who has
given the subject consideration, agrees
that the greatest need Of our country
to-day is good roads. The progress hat
has been made up to date has been
very slow. In the last one hundred
and fifty years less than s per cent Of
the road mileage has been permanent :
ly improved; at that rate it would take
1000 to 5000 years to complete the
work. A new day, however, Is dawn
ing; better way has been found and
fifteen States are already we'll on the
way to better conditions. The Middle
West is now waking up and consider
ing the same plan that has proven so
successful in the Eastern States; that
is, instead Of taxing farm property
alone for the building of roads, to tax
all the property of the State. This
makes the burden much lighter. More
money can be raised and more roads
can be built with little or no increase
in taxation on farm property. The
farmers of Illinois, for instance, repre-
sent less than one-third of the proper
ty of the State; practically two-thirds
have been escaping the burden Of high
way improvement.
What is needed In Illinois and all
the Western States is State aid law,
similar to that of New York, PennsyI-
vania, New Jersey and a dozen other
States to the east of us. State aid does
not mean the forcing of any commu-
nifty to build roads, nor does it lessen
in any degree the local control over the
highways. If q township decides to
improve the State must pay a portion
Of the expense. BY the State aid plan
as adopted in most of the States, it Is
practicable to build a system of roads,
fifteen to twenty miles at one time, in
a township and spread the payments
over q series of years. This gives
community the use Of the roads and
lessons the cost Of construction from
10 to 20 per cent by building a large
mileage, insures better work and the
construction is done under expert SUI
pervision. 1t is entirely feasible and
practical under this plan to build per-
manent roads in the Mississippi Val
ley at an expense of from 10 to 20
cents per acre per year on farm prop
erty.-H. II. Gross, special agent De
partment Of Agriculture.
ROadbed Plan.
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