Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-09-19
GOVERNORS VIEWS
ABOUT GOOD ROADS
Letter on Subject Read at Good
Roads Convention.
Care and Economy Should be Exercised
and No Politics Must be Mix
ed With It,

The following letter from Governor"
Davidson to the recent good roads con-
ventien shows that he is a friend to-
the movement toward lettering our
highways. His idea in regard to the
work are in teresting:
Gentlemen of the State Good Roads
Association / regret that l am,
unable to be with you 20 tell you in
person that think your association
is working along good line. I think
that the subject of better roads is, and
should be of as great interest to farmers
and merchants and all classes of peee-
pie 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 shoulG help the farmers
to pay for the better roads which
they need so much. All classes of peo-
pie will be benefited and all classes,
should therefore join in paying for
the roads that will benefit themr~
1t is not right for the farmer alone
to pay the whole cost as he practical.
ly does at this time. But I know that
you believe that 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.
left with the people, but also believe,
that it is necessary thai the states
of Wisconsin have some sort of super
vision over the building It should do
this to insure the people that the mon
ey appropriated by the state is ex-
pended 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 I can be-
will give readily. Let every dollaKs
be properly expended for the best in
terests of the whole people. 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 system in which every dol
lar will be spent to the best advan@
tage.
In order to accomplish this, this
question must be left entirey out oe
politics, absolutely. The legislature,
which passes a law for state aid must
be very careful, because trouble will
arise 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 bounty of the,
state, and it must also be arranged that
strong town 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 commission-we want just
as few as we can have to see that the.
state money is properly expended.
thoroughly believe that the state,
the county, and the town should join
in paying for the roads, and that the,
state should work through the counties.
in every way possible. We must de-
velop a system in which there are few
highly efficient state employees who can
work through local men in each
county. This county official should
also be selected for his ability as a
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.