The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1911-11-18
GOOD ROAD ADVOCATES
SANCTION BOND ISSUE

tEsea seven and eight Per cent The
nrst ti1culty h h To- mileage 20
be improved a. hss b@~n carefully
asc@rtained thai l. 20 20 pr cent o.;
our roads carr ~ % % p-r cent u,
The tra=c II se sV~R had - pr cent
% our roads permanently Improved
slth lard surfaces 80 Nouid bs IN
fairly good -EADe Improved m@thods
u laying out and maintaining the -
Pr csn % dirt r0ads leading 10 the
hard surface roads Nln 40 ~ Eork
Farmers Interested.
VITA ali our az n Nth
the Increase IN property valuations
certain 20 foiioS this j. the possible.
task Ne must So out 20 accomplish
~ fs easily d~moGstreble b. the acf
"a experience o; those s-afes TIA
have entered upon an era of peunan-
~nt road building that lands ~!thin the
z0Ue % influence o; a. improved road
incr-as@s In value from tao 20 tea
dollars pr acre on an average. and
frequently from % % 90 PER cent az
their value We have iJ.GSs.0GO acres
OF and n this state. The building %
5000 miles % hard surface roads. and
intsliigsntiy caring FOR our dirt roads
would increase the value OF these
lands A. least 500 per acre. or a
total Increase % actual wealth 10 our
farmers o. over 90 million dollars
Every improvement IN the roads
leading from this market Wltens these
zones. makes ~unprOuucfive land pro
ductive and enables the farmer 20 ex-
ercise a wider discretion In determin-
iug the character Of his crop The
prosperity OF tho individual farmer BE-
comes far greater. A. 20 the physi-
cal difficulties OF location. grades. and
materials for road making. they are
easily surmountable with scientific a.
well as practical supervision
Naturs Material.
I West Virginia Is blessed Ia HAVING
IN many OF " counties excellent ma
ferial FOR road building. Limestone
and other suitable rock abound iu
many while tho gravel found Boa most
OF y streams makes one of the best
r~Oadbcds that can bo made Every
where there 8, ~ abundance or clay
from which can be made vltrined
brick
Since. then. the road mileage neces-
sary 20 D. permanently improved.
o tho physical conditions. nor lack
o; material need deter M from enter
ing c-0urageousiy upon q policy OF
permanent road building. there re-
mains only tho financial side OF the
question 70 give us pause.
In q country 50 vast as this com
Parsons o. cost 30 one section with
those In another are almost valuelrss
so greatly do conditions direr Hs 20
topography. climate. soil. cost OF IA
Dor and quality and quantity OF ma
terial available for road materials
ON some soils ot sandy or g~rayeily
nature 4-inCh macadam roads are suc
c%-safully built and maintained. Else.
where IL Is necessary 20 m-acadamize
10 a depth OF eight or ten inches. aud
In other sections q Telford or other
stone foundation must be built FIRST
From figures ~ al be- seen shat
permanent roads cost considerable
money. II would b. foolish 10 assert
otherwise. We must face The prob
lem with the truth before us and not
attempt 10 delude ourselves. II may
be well right here. though. 20 com
pare these costs with the costs Of
building modern railroads. which
varies from $4,000. 90 20 $3.50. OoU 90.
per mile. They pay on that basis
with large amounts o, water added
n National Road.
Early In IN last century the ma
tional government established a pre-
cedent by spending a million dollars
or moro in BUILDING the National
Turnpike from Cumberland. Nd. 20
Wheeling. and hy assisting through
its and grants 10 the states west OF
Wheeling In the continuation OF the
National road through Ohio. Indiana
and Illinois II Is thought by many
hat the national government should
at least assist In permanently build
INK several principal interstate roads.
some OF which cross our common
wealth. and a number OF bills ave
been introduced In congress looking
=. 20 that end
In many states IN the beginning
the state department % roads has
consisted Of % Of partisan commission
% high character on which there
we're men OF business ability and tech.
nical skill. which commission ap-
points a state highway engineer. A.
his plan tends 90 divorce the entire
department from politics. ] strongly
favor o. Tho administration % our
public roads must under any and all
. circumstances b. entirely free from
politics.
cost Of Roads.
With regard 20 tho revenues that
will BE- needed BY our state 10 begin
an adequate policy % modern road
building. there is ono other source
that should be exhausuvely examined
into. u is conceded that most inter
csts in this state. including the pub
lie service corporations are nov pay
Ing an equitable part ~ tho public
taxes. n haE been asserted. how
ever. By successive tax commission
ers that one class a. least 81 valuable
property is escaping IT, just proper.
+ ton % taxes. and that IL natural gas
" that assertion be tr1e. then whv
not ascertain by proper methods