The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-11-25

10 here. II II going to stay. You can
not keep II of the roads Therefore.
you Will have to build roads that moter
vehicles won't destroy, and you VIII
have TO look further ahead than mere
ly the present year. because ! peileve
that we are coming more and more TO
commercial trucks and heavier veni-
cios, ana the roads will have To DO
built with that In view.
SO far as the use of the roads by
motorists generally is concerned, Inc
tax Hsurcs are interesting. In nearly
every state, approximately twenty per
cent. OF state taxes are paid uy Inc
Vit.es. ~ is sale TO cay tiat .ue great
or part OF this twenty per cent, lhat
The Ci,ies pay is PAM oy the aatoiuo-
the owning class OF The cities. Inc
people VINO owl autDmobiies nre the
people VINO have properly. The peo-
pie who have properly are the ones
VINO pay tne bulk OF the lakes. Add
to this automobile -ownlng class In the
cities, the other autotuoo!ie owners in
thc -nlau towns ana among the far
Mers, and you will hnQ that the au-
.N...o-I.e area pos iS snare OF tn
STATE Lakes IN every state, ana II Is
out OF tnesv Stase lakes nos mat most
~ Ahe 5000 roe4os -NUrN IL De4ns uoae
SO 1t would seem tnat the automo-
highways, II auyooay is.
The Unitec states has the worst
roads OF any civIuzeu country.
Cost of naui,n4.
Inc cost oT hauiihg over our Goun-
try roads is now "a cents ton to
the mile. In European countries It
is less than ia cents mile. In some
roads going into London, where mo-
tor trucks are usa. II IL less than
cents. IL the wagon freight piii
OF the country could be cut in half,
it would mean Il saving 10 the peo-
pie of s25O,oo6.oao year. Notning
out good roads can accomplish this
saving.
We hear great deal nowadays
ferent sections. owing to whether the
material from which good voads can
be made Is close at hand or not. In
North and South Carolina macadam
roads can be built for 81 500 a mile,
and In nine states OF the South the
average Tor macadam road Is 81. 900
a mile. In southern Ohio bitumtnOus
macadam roaas cost 1890 a mile;
in Massachusetts the average mac
adam road costs $4,000 a mlle, and
in New York the average State road
costs $4,000 a mile. Ohio has some
brick roads which cost $4,000 and
1900 a mile.
We hear great Zeal now days
about the conservation OF our nat
! ural resources. We hear Il great deal
about the tariff question and the In
q eased cost of living. We hear a
great deal about building up Il large
navy, and we hear great deal
aho the great univ ersal peace move
II r. These are all political ques-
r. and are agitating the public
~Ind at the present time. But it
seems to me that Il one-half Of the
stress that is now being put upon
the increased cost of living through
Inc tariff was put upon building good
roads and decreasing the cost OF dis
tribution in this country. and II the
Federal government would start by
approprIating sufficient money to
start, say, two national highways
across this country, 1t would do more
to benefit the farmers and the people
living in the cities than anything
else that the government could do.
Against Pork Barrel.
! don't mean that this should be
done on the old pork barrel meth
ods, but proper road committee
| could be appointed to see that the
! contracts We're let and carried out In
IA strictly businesslike way.
4--AA g are All paying pAI-Sudfo tA LII.
| Increased cost of the farmer in get
/ ting his goods to market, and il we
| make good roads and thereby In
! crease the facilities and lessen the
| cost, the results arc bound to show
/ in the cost of living.
| With all of our boasts about our
/ great crops. the value of our manu-
! featured goods. and the greatness of
| this country In every way. we ought
! to all he thoroughly ashamed, as
| Americans. OF the roads in this
| country | believe when the people
are thoroughly aroused on this ques-
ton and realize that the benefits are
| not for one class OF people alone, bu!
| Tor all the people alike. that they
| will rise up some day and demand
| Of the National Congress, to start
! with. and the State assemblies In the
/ second place, that they cooperate
! to the end that We keep pace in our
| road Improvement with all other
| transportation improvements OF this
| century and with all communicating
improvements that we now enjoy.