Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-07

Two hundred and fifty million dollars
is the annual mud tax Of the people
Of the United States--the saving that
would be effected IL the roads over
which the products of the farm and gar
den are hauled to market were i'm
proved. according to figures produced in
the Senate today by Senator Swanson Of
Virginia.
maiden speech in the upper house, and he
was urging the passage Of his bill. which
proposes that the Federal government
expend $4,000, 900 in road improvements
each year for the next five years. The
amount is to be distributed among the
states in accordance with the population
living outside of cities Of more than $780,
600 inhabitants. but only used when there
is a local contribution by state or county
authorities of an equal amount.
In estimating the annual mud tax"
Senator Swanson explained that careful
investigation of experts fixed the average
cost of hauling the products of the farm
over country roads at % cents a ton per
mile. If the roads were improved. as are
those in England. France and Germany,
II is estimated that the cost would be re-
duced to between IL and 13 cents ton
per mile.
Senator Swanson argued that the i'm
provement of the roads in this country
would be more than paid for by the saw
ing of twenty years.
Obligation of Government.
Senator Swanson argued that the gov
ernment is. in all justice and fairness,
bound to contribute to the establishment
and maintenance Of good roads. 1t is
now having n tho railroads of fbic oo,,p
try more than $JO.OOO.OO a year. he said,
for using its tracks to carry mail over
their roads, and while ii is using more
than 100000 miles of roads for carrying
Its mails on star routes or rural free de-
livery routes, 1t pays not cent for the
use OF the roads.
THE counties and states contribute
their money for the construction and
maintenance of these country roads as
much as do the stockholders of the rail-
roads Tor the construction and mainte-
nance of their railway tracks," he added
If it is just and fair that the govern
ment should pay this vast sum of money
Tor utilizing the tracks Of the railroads
1t Is equally just and fair that the gov
eminent should contribute a fair com
pensation to the states and communities
for using their roads for the conveyance
OF the governments mails"
Other Nations Better of.
Pointing out that less than 2OO. 900 miles
OF the 2,155.OO miles Of roads and high.
ways In this country are macadamized
or improved with hard surfaces, Senator
Swanson remarked that no other en-.
lghtened people are cursed with such q
wretched condition"
The high cost Of TRANSPORTING the nnod
ucts or the farm to wharyes or depots
over miserable roads, with the resutins
mud tax" Senator Swanson declared
Is not the only loss occasioned by the
| roads makes II Improbable to market
| much OF the products Of the farm. Thi,
loss to the farmer cannot be estimated,
Mr.. Swanson said. but it is big
Bearing on Education.
Good roads have an important bear,ne
| on education. too. argued Senator Swan
| son
Statistics gathered fro mthe SAM
source show he said, how education
| and school attendance are affected by i'm
proved roads. These statistics show tina
| in five states in which about "a per cen
of the roads are improved. seventy sever
| out Of each 100 pupils enrolled regularl,
| attend the public schools. In five state
in which the improved roads only amour
| to 15 per cent, only fifty-nine out o
each 100 pupils enrolled regularly attent
the public schools"
| To the argument that the government
| would be bankrupt If it started out to i'm
| Statistics gathered from the sam,
4 tor Swanson replied that the same fat
was predicted when the rural free deliv
\ cry system was inaugurated. Yet th
| Post Office Department is fast becomin,
| self sustaining. despite the increasinl
number of rural routes and the wipini
| out of the deficit can be attributed, Ger
tainly in part. he claimed, to the in
/ creased revenues resulting from the es
tablishment Of the rural mail deliver,