The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1911-07-19
Would SaveAmerican Peo-
pie $4,000, 900
YEAR, SAYS SENATOR SWANSON
Who Urges Appropriation of
$20,OOO.OOO for
Five Years.
THE PEOPLES BIG mud TAX"

Washington, July 14.-Good
roads would save the American peo-
pie $3.50, 100000 annually. while
bad roads impose just that much
mud tax" every year upon the peo-
pie who haul their products to
market over poor country high
ways, was the assertion made by
Senator Claude A. Swanson, of Vir-
ginia, to-day in strong speech in
the Senate on his bill for Federal
road appropriations. The Swanson
bill provides that the Government
appropriate $2O,OOO,OOO annually
for the next five years for improv-
ing the post roads and rural free
delivery routes used by the Govern
ment. BY limiting the appropria-
ton to post roads and rural free
delivery roads,it removes all eonsti-
tutional objections that might pos
-sibly be urged. The States are to
furnish as much as the Government
expends on each of them.
This was Senator Swanson's
maiden speech in the Senate.
There is no more vital question
before the American people to-day"
declared Senator Swanson.
The poor condition of American
roads generally is having bad eff
feet upon the American people, he
said, pointing out that poor roads
make 1t improbable to market
much of the products OF the farm
and are arresting production In
places where cost of transportation
exceeds the selling price.
Mr.. Swanson explained that his
plan would open more than 1,00O,-
900 miles of roads to Government
aid, that the State of local authori-
ties would furnish an amount equal
to that appropriated by the Federal
Government and that the total
would be divided among the States,
according to population. He said
that the limitation to postal roads
and routes eliminated any consti-
tutional objections. The bill would
create a Road Department, consist
ing of engineers and capable Off
clals to carry out the project. The
measure, he explained, was modelled
something after the Virginia law.
when the Federal Government
commences to bear its fair share of
the burden of improving our public
roads," said Senator Swanson,
"that day will mark the beginning
of the end of bad roads in this ma
ton. The American nation would
be powerless to picture through the
vista of the coming years the in
creased health and happiness, the
Increased wealth and power and
the great moral and material adj
vance which would come to this re-
public upon the Inauguration of
this great national policy"
Mr.. Swnson pointed out that
Americans have become the great
est manufacturing people In the
world, that their mines furnish the
world more than one-half OF its
mineral products and wealth, their
plants and pralrIes are the grana-
ries of the world. Cotton, he said,
continues the king of plants. "and
the worlds comfort and clothing
are dependent upon the White fields
of the South.
"Our wealth." he continued, lis
greater to-day than that of any ma
ton; we havo become sunreme in
finances and foremost in the worlds
commerce; we surpass in money
expended for primary and general
education and in mileage of rail-
roads, navigable rivers and improv-
ed harbors; the story of our prog
ress reads more liko romance than
history"
Yet, he said. no other enlightened
people in the w)rll are cursed with J
such wretched condition OF roads.
with more than nine-tenths of the /
public roads and highways in the !
United States during the rainy sea-
sons almost impassable He said
1t is estimated that 80 per cent. Of
our internal commerce (which ex-
teeds the inter-foreign commerce