Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-12-01


the state, for the longer the fund is
allowed to accumulate the lager its
proportions will be. 1t Is a nest egg,
that will amount to some dimesnions,
by the time the melon is cut.
There is found to be big scram-
BILE among various communities to
get as large a share as possible. The
legislature, however, evidently in
that will amount to some dimensions,
the coin, for the law says:
THE amount appropriated and ex-
pended from such road fund in any
county for the permanent improve
ment of the highways within it's lin
its, in any one year, shall be in the
same proportion as the amount leev-
led in each county for road and
bridge taxes bears to the total |
amount on the road and bridge tax
levied in all counties Of the state"
This is certainly explicit and evil |
IDENTIFY means that the bulk of cash |
big while it is kept together is to be
distributed a drop here and a drop
there, until in reality no one gets
any benefit from it. OF course, nei-
Their Chicago, Springfield, Peoria,
East st. Louis, not any of the other
! larger cities of the state, the ones
/ that will contribute the greater por-
ton OF the money will derive any
direct benefit for the law provides
the money must be expended out
side Of any incorporated city, town
or village"
MILLION SPENT ON ROADS.
1t is estimated that the state of
Illinois, through its various boards
| of highways have squandered mil
lions Of dollars in good roads, but
which are absolutely no better than
they we're years ago. The wrong
system has been in vogue. Instead
of the construction of permanent
hard roads the highway commission
ers have been content with some
good grading here and there and
ditching at other points, to keep
their teams employed. They have
paved a few roads with gravel to
have 1t disappear the next spring,
only to be followed with some more
of the same kind.
, nois paving that has become so thor
oughly mixed with mud, that it is
impossible except by consultation
with the records, to tell that hard
road was ever built there. The cit
les of the state build roads. good
roads, and roads that last. Why not
the country? It can be done, and
done easily if there is but some sys-
tom 20 it. but the scattering of a
handful of dollars here and another
handful somewhere else broadcast
over the entire state is not going to
do it.
1t is up to the legislature to find
the means of getting this money out
of the state treasury. To do this
will require an amendment to the
: present law. This could be done to
D provide for n good permanent road.
1 One good road across the state would
a do more good than a hundred thous.
and patches here and there which
: will quickly disappear and no one
t be the wiser to the fact that the
D automobile owners are contributing
a in excess of 100000 per year for
] keeping up the ROADS.
n Right now there is an agitation
e sweeping over the country for good
Y roads. This is particularly true in
i Illinois, where the roads are prob
: ably poorer, or at least as poor as
e any state in the union and Illinois
is one OF the largest. 1t is so fal
( behind Ohio and Indiana in this di
Z haf u vii oil 70 oh
: up. The automobile license fund
+ finds a good opportunity of making
t start in the right direction. II
25 or 80 miles of good roads could
be constructed each year, 1t would
4 not be long before Illinois had some
4 thing worth while to talk about, be
y sides mud everywhere in wet, rainy
4 weather.
Y URGING NATIONAL HIGHWAY.
y Advocates Of good roads are advo
X eating the Lincoln way from Washing
y ton across Illinois. Other national
X roads are being agitated Why not
y have a good state road, one stretch
y ing from east to west or from north
4 to south clear across the state. OF
y course Springfield would like to have
K it pass through that city, but if this
Y route is not feasible, let it go some.
X where else. Somebody will be the
Y gamer no matter where 1t goes. After
y the state has started one good road
Z that amounts to something it will be
speedily followed by others.
The different communities will take
v up the question on their own initiation
X and they will build good roads reach
Y ing to It, 1t will offer such easy trans
y portation across the state that they
\ will want to be connected with the
y great highway by one equally as good
Z II is bound to stimulate good road
y building In Illinois as nothing else
X II the state gets to spending money
Y where the benefit will be appreciable
* and lasting. it is a certainty the diff
Y ferent communities will spend seyera
4 dollars for every one expended by the
" state There will be a goal TOWARD
H which to strive, and 10 years from to
" day Illinois will have some roads t.
X point to with pride and will be able t