Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1911-03-09
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY
From the United States Office of
Public Roads.

address made to leading engineers of
the state and the members of both
branches of the legislature, Logan
Waller Page, Director of the U. 8.
Office of Public Roads, tonight out
lined model law, which if adopted
would give Pennsylvania the best, in
stead of the worst public roads in the
country.
Considering its wealth and popula-
ton Mr.. Page asserted PennsylV Vania
has the poorest roads of any state in
the Union. The total assessed valua.
tion of property in this state and the
total expenditure for public roads ex-
ceeds that Of any other state, except
New York, but there are 80 states in
the Union which have a larger percent
age of improved roads.
Mr.. Page pointed out the benefits
that score from improved roads, in
cluding increased land values, better
facilities for transportation of farm and
other products, increased population,
improved schools, and better social
conditions throughout the rural com
munities
'"There are. said Director Page some
thing close to 20, 900, 900 acres of farm
land in this state. The increase in the
value of this land, resulting from road
improvement would more than pay
for the Improvement of the main high
ways. Assuming one mile of improv-
ed road is bnilt to each square mile of
farming land, and that the increased
value would be only $5 an acre, the
total increase from this source alone
would amount to about 300, 600, 900.
According to the report of the
Secretary of Internal Affairs of Penn
sylvania for 1900'' he continued, 'only
6S per cent. of the farms of Pennsyl-
vania are improved, but with a system
of improved roads practically all of
the available farm lands in the State
wonld be cultivated"
Mr.. Page has been invited to ad-
dress the members Of the legislature
tablishlng new State Highway De-
partment, with a commissioner, depu-
ties and an engineer in charge of the
work. In his address, he came out
fatty in opposition to the proposed
change in the administration of the
work Of improving the roads, arguing
that the changes that are needed can
best he worked out under the present
administration.
''1f any change is to be made, how
ever" Director Page said, 81 would
recommend law providing for the
appointment of a non-paid State High
way Commission, consisting of dean
or professor of civil engineering from
each of the two leading universities or
colleges of the State and one member
to be appointed by the Governor"
"a commission thus constituted
would have majority of it's members
selected because of their training and
engineering ability and without refer
ence to their political affiliations,
which would result in a non-partisan
and technically competent commission.
At the same time, the civilian member
to be appointed by the Governor
should bring to the commission the
business ability and experience essen
tial to the proper and economical or
ganization and prosecution of its work.
The fact that the appointments would
carry no emoluments would remove
them from the category of political
preferment"
Director Page told the large gather
ing of Legislators, engineers and others,
that it was absolutely essential to pro-
gress, in the work of improving the
public roads, that the present system
of statute labor-that enacted from
citizens in lieu of such taxes-should
be abolished as soon as possible.
IF change in the administration OF
the highway work is to be made at all, -
he said, sit should have as its object
the elimination of all political inf1u-
ence and the establishment of a non
political State Highway Commission.
The commission should be authorized
to appoint State Highway Engineer
and fix his salary and the law should
provide that he should be a civil en-
gineer, skilled and experienced in road
construction and maintenance.
sit is necessary, above all other
things, that the State should maintain
the roads improved with State aid and
not turn them over to the county sup
ervisors. My advise to you, therefore,
is to pass law requiring all road taxes
to be paid in cash and providing that
the present township system of work
ing the roads be abolished
Director Page advocated the use OF
convicts in preparing road materials,
pointing out that free labor, instead OF
hainug Hiaori m n aIod onoinaf xuaui1 h.