Milford chronicle., 1913-09-19

sion, or whoever is at the head and il
charge of locating national highways
FIRST decides on the location Of the road t
be built from one place to another teithei
BY acquiring present road, or building
new ones that they acquire a strip Oi
land on each side of whatever width j:
decided upon.
The nation would then let any person,
/ firm, corporation, society or organization
have as much of the adjoining land, say
one hundred feet, and for as long a time
as said firm or other party paid to the
nation three, four or FIVE per cent, as
may be decided, on the value of the land
exclusive of improvements, this value
to be readjusted at stated intervals. The
width held for road purposes should be
at least fifty (S0) feet. Until needed
part of this could be leased.
LEASES As GOOD As OWNERSHIP.
Whoever leased the land would be Just
as safe and as well protected 50 long as
they paid the tax on it, as if they owned
the land themselves, and paid the tax
on It. The nation would only get the
rental on the land made valuable BY the
road built by the nation on part of the
land they acquired by purchase and are
entitled as lessee to the increased value
as citizens today are entitled to and get
the benefit Of constantly increasing value
Of land adjoining good roads.
The problem IS before rs. How shall
we attack it What is the quickest and
most effective remedy for the bad road
conditions Of the United States today and |
at the same tine the smallest outlay BY |
the nation consistent with good work.
Let US turn to the history of highways /
in this country. In the early days road 4
was largely confined to the ef-
fort Of local communicative villages,
towns and cities. The town road official
IN most cases with no knowledge of road
directed these improvements,
sought the appropriation therefor and
controlled the work and extravagant ex-
This abused the growth of
a disloiuted system of roads. One town
spent more money and built better roads
han the adjoining town. Thus Jealous
es were aroused between the local COM
nunitles until finally a larger unit, the
country, took over the more important
outes and built roads of various tvpes
II construction, connecting the various
portions of the county in a little more
and efficient manner. But
oon the same difficulties developed upon
larger scale.
ROADS BUILT HELTER-SKELTER.
No attention was paid to intercourtv
ighways, and consequently roads devel-
ped which did not properly connect the
arious parts of the State-hence the Gre
ton of State Highway Commissions and
tate Highways. There were also other
-asons for this. Larger appropriations
ould be obtained from the State. Uni
'rmlty Of construction and maintenance
'uld be secured. Accentuation in town
i'd county road improvement was not
.e least of the beneficial results OBJ
ined.
But now we are confronted with still
rger problems - the development of
'od roads over all and connecting all
-rts OF the United States. Should we
II apply the lesson learned BY the ex-
uence of the past? Can effective inter
ate highways be obtained efficiently.
eedily and economically through the
sJointed efforts of the several States.
en- working separately and exclusively
its own selfish ends? And can Fed
al Aid y to these separate States pro-
&C anything but chaOs-costlv roads.
ad beginning nowhere, ending no
lere-and at the cost of millions of
liars annually upon which there will
no return but a constant expense to
2 nation. Nol
What we need is National HIGHWAYS. y
ghways beginning somewhere; ending
neewhere. Highways constructed ac- -
ding to some definite plan and along -
1cal lines throughout the whole United
ties Highways backed by the people
the whole nation, cooperating and Ia
rking together for the greatest benefit
all and built so that they would be
rec OF revenue and not expense. It r.
lot a local problem. Il is a national
Diem and can only be met by the
ole nation working together intelli-
lily as a unit.-Suuday Star.
trts