The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-06-14
ne and maintaining them


ing and maintaining them.
Our present system of road admin
istration is largely modelled aftel
that abandoned by other progressive
nations more than a century ago. IL
England road administration began
like our present system, with the
smallest unit of government, winch
originated by an act of Parliament
in 1855 and provided for the election
of a road surveyor for each parish
and for the working of the roads by
compulsory labor. The parish wa:
found to be too small as an admins.
trative unit history of highways
appearing in the Edinburgh D~riew,
January-April, 1864, contains tHis
statement:
From the days of Elizabeth the incon-
veniences resulting from the maintenance
OF highways by single parishes have been
constantly apparent, and accordingly sue
cessive governments, without distintio of
politics. made the attempt to combine
parishes into highway districts and to
transfer the superintendent of their
roads to boards employing the services
of professional engineers
The decided trend of road admin
istration in England has continued
away from localizatiOn Subject to
the formation Of road districts. it was
provided that one-half of the expense
of maintaining the roads should be
borne by the county, and finally, in
1882, Parliament provided that one
nalf of the expense of the county au-
thorities should be refunded by a
Parliamentary grant. This is also
true in its essentials of the develop
ment of road administration in the
other nations of Europe, but with us
we have continued in vogue a system
of penurious localization.
Some of the opponents of this
would lead us to believe
that the macadamizing of all the 3
! 81 ,000 miles of roads in the United
States would bankrupt the Govern
ment. 1t would be just as absurd to
all the roads in the
United States as it would be
TO build a railroad or dig a canal
through every mans farm. 1t
Is we'll known among highway en-
sineers that horse can, for short
time exert about four times his aver
age tractive force without injury BY
reason of this fact a team of horses
can draw fer two or three miles as
much on a common earth road as
hey can draw all day on good mac
adam, gravel or sand-cfay roads.
1t should be apparent to any ration
II being that this two million miles
If public road would be classified &C
:ording to the traffic and the require
nentS in eacn section of country,
md only the main arteries of travel
would require so expensive form
If construction as broken stone mac
ldam 1t would be entirely feasible
md proper TO improve many thouS
md miles with gravel. many more
!, ,;xfr Of
sand and clay, and probably more
han one-half of this great total
would be adequate if maintained as
irst-class earth roads. So that it is
IbSurd to figure on the cost of i'm
proving cur public roads at $4,000 |
Ter mile for the entire mileage. or at
a 900, or even at 50 600.
Mr.. President. of all the civilized |
Countries on earth, this country has |
he poorest roads. In all else that is
progressive it stands first. In ma |
erial wealth, in varied resources, In |
he products of agriculture, In the |
making of iron and Steel in the
sumber of miles of railroad. IN the |
realth and opulenGe of its cities we |
tand first. and yet the farmers. who |
argely contribute to this wealth and |
reatness, have had less doae for
hem than any other class OF our peo-
lie. Good roads are avenue pro-
ress. the best proof of Intelligence; |
hey aid the social and religious ad-
ancement of the people; they in
rease the value of products; they
ave time, labor and mcn"T' they
re the initial sources OF commerce,
Fhich swell il great streams and
ow everywhere. distributing the pro
ucts of our fields, fores- and fac
prizes. The highways are the com
ION property of the country. their
enefits are shared by all and they
re needed by all; they beneht all,
ma all should contribute to them
What fair minded man will say that
ne people. who live on the public
Dads, should be required to build
nd keep them in repair. for the use
f the general public? They could
OF if they were willing. The burden
more than they could bear. No
Government on earth has ever en-
Dyed good roads where compulsory
lbor is relied or to build and main
ain them
The effects of good roads reach
verybody. Both city and country
hare in their benefits In justice