The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-01-20
GOOD ROADS
Cost Good Money, Cheap
Roads re Worthless
State Good Roads Secretary
Makes An Address
In Which He Says Govern
ment Aid Is Needed
Also Part Of The Burden
Should BE EntaiIed
By The State As Well As
The Government
columbus Dispatch)

At the meeting of the State Asso-
citation of County Commissioners at
Dayton last week, Jesse Taylor, of
jamestown, secretary of the State
Good Roads association, delivered an
address on the subject of road build
had said that he who made two
blades of grass grow where but one
grew before was benefactor of the
public, the man who made good
road to appear where there was none
before, was a much more deserving
person.
He had no patience with schemes
for getting good roads at little cost.
Good roads would never be secured by
the people without paying for them.
Everybody was interested in good
ested than others, but all were inter-
ested directly or remotely. He cited
the old National or Cumberland road
and insisted that the government
ought to use some of its revenues in
the building of good wagon roads now.
The state should lend its aid, too.
The plan suggested by many is to
have the general government pay one
third, the state one-third and the re-
naming one-third be left to the people
of the respective counties and town
Inc xrrl,n ho de- nctr NJ aJ
and have the maintenance cared for in
the same way. About 100000 miles of
good roads have already been con-
structed in the United States, and If
all the main Travelled roads were con-
tsructed, then the road question would
be practically solved. Five hundred
and fifty thousand out of the 2,220,0O0
miles of public road would cover this
class of roads, and the average cost Of
construction of macadam roads is
about $4,000 per mile. If the general
government would assume one-third Of
the cost of constructing the remaining
100000 miles of main travelled roads,
1t would cost about six billion dollars
to do it, which at 212 per cent inter-
est per annum would impose an annu-
al tax of $15,O00,O00. There are near
ly 100,000,000 of people in the United
but upon this basis of population the
amount of the annual tax for interest
would only be about Is cents for each
person.
He read the following extracts from
the platforms of the two great parties
to show that both were pledged to the
good roads propositions:
The Democratic platform: "We ia
vor federal aid to state and local au-
thorities in the construction of post
roads," and from recent events and
present claims of these gentlemen
they may have opportunity to show
to the people whether or not they
were sincere in that declaration.
The Republican platform: 1--WE
recognize the social and economic ad
vantages of good country roads, main
. tanned more and more largely at pub
lie expense and less at the expense
of the abutting property owner. II
this work we commend the growing
practice of the state aid, and we ap
prove the efforts of the national agri
cultural department, by experiment
and otherwise, to make clear to the
public the best methods Of good roaC
construction.
"Since the animal which has so no
bly, carried the banner of the G.. o. p
: got stuck in the mud last Novembe
!, and is now extending its trunk urg
: ing the people to rally and pull hin
!, out, it seems to me that it will be wis'
r for these gentlemen to revise tina
g declaration and say something abou
national aid and less about 'experimen
h and otherwise of the agricultural de
;. partment.
= "The farmer is also calling for bet
J. ter roads because of the new depart
d ure in the means of education for hi
, children. The little red schoolhous
e has done valiant work in the pasi
and from it has come the mightiest Q
the nation, but except for primary pul
8 poses the district school is passin