The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1912-07-22
BANKERS FAVOR
STATE AID FOR
BETTER ROADS
y -
Illinois Association Expose Start
ling Facts Concerning
Highway Work
POOR SYSTEM MAKES WASTE
.--- '
No Branch of Public Business
Shows Greater Waste,
Report Says
POOR SYSTEM MAKES WASTE


under which Illinois highways are
built and maintained and reeom-
lamentations for improvement
Through the enactment of a new law
under which the main roads of the
state would be taken under the eX-
elusive jurisdiction Of the state
highway commission are included in
a report submitted to the Illinois
Bankers Association by its good
roads committee. The committee
has made an exhaustive study of the
road situation in the state and has
discovered, among other things, thac
there is an annual waste of S2,500,-
GOO of the taxpayers money under
present conditions.
Poor System Makes Waste.
The existing township highway
system Is severely criticised. The
report says:
There is no other branch of the
public service that shows such a
Elarge percentage of waste Amy BUSH
tness enterprise under such system
would not last through a season,
but so long as the people continue to
put up the money and retain the
present system this loss will con-
tinue."
1t is estimated that about $4,000,
1000 annually is spent for road Dur-
poses, Reports to bankers committee
from fifteen townships showed that
100 per cent of the money was was'-
ed; from sixty-eight townships, IS
to 90 per cent from 175 townships,
so to rs per cent; from nihty-fiTe
20 to 50 per cent, and from forty
seven townships, 10 to % per cent
The report shows that conditions
are getting worse instead of better,
THE money is not willfulIy wasted, -
says the report, but it Is spent in
small amounts here and there ir
the endeayor to patch up and make
passable a poor road and a poor
bridge There is not money enough
at hand to do a good job This makes
| it necessary for the highway com
missioner to do the best he can with
what he has. The result is the
same work has to be done over each
successive year. with no permanent
benefit to the roads"
Illinois Behind Other States
The bankers committee secured its
information from series of ques-
tons sent to bankers in all parts OF
+, the state, Reports were received
from 430 townships in ninty-eight
counties. 1t is estimated that there
are about $4,000 miles of public
highway in the state, Of which 10 3
per cent is improved with either
stone, gravel or brick.
This compares very unfavorably
with Massachusetts, which has so per
cent Of good roads; New York is
per cent; Ohio IS per cent; Wiscon-
sin, IS per cent; Kentucky, 20 pc:
cent, and Indiana, 80 per cent SAYS
the report The 430 townships
showed 2,943 miles OF dragged dir
road. The report commends the
drag and advises rural communities
which are not supplied with drag
to send to the United States Depart
tment of Agriculture at Washington,
IN. c., for bulletin No. 32t, which
contains instructions on the con-
struction and use of the King Split
Log Drag
County Units and Uniformity.
| TO the question, In your opinion,
should the present township system
| Of highway Improvement be super
| seeded by a system making the county
the unit and putting road construc-
| ton under a competent county Off,
cial?" 95S townships reported Eyes
and 12S reported "No."
zone of the frequent criticisma
of our present highway system is
it's lack of uniformity" says the re.
port eve have in this state 4.S0G
highway commissioners, each 1oins
his work not only independently of
the commissioners in the adjoining
townships, but often independently
of the commissioners in the same
township" frs
| To the question, "Are you person
ally in favor of the state, either
through an appropriation or a bond
issue, assisting in the building of
roads under law giving each coun-
| ty or township its fair PROMOTION os