The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1914-09-11
Good Roads

who put "better" in Better Roads"
took rap at that part Of the plat
form of the Republican Party which
relates to the question and seeks to
destroy all the present plans for state
construction of main market roads,
rtate cooperation and supervision OF
the construction of inter-county high
ways and state maintenance OF main
market roads and inter-county high
ways. In part, Mr.. Taylor said:
Several years ago the Ohio Good
Roads Federation, an organization
composed of men who had nothing to
He'l which enters into the construc-
tion and maintenance of public roads,
inaugurated a statewide campaign
for road improvement in Ohio, and the
Ohio Good Roads Federation is now
ane of the most powerful organiza-
ions of this state and is State Di-
vision of the National Highways As
Tociation.
The present laws which govern the
operation of the State Highway De-
partment and provide for the con-
struction Of main market roads and
inter-county highways were prepared
oy the Federation, proposed to the
General Assembly and enacted into
laws. To follow the suggestion of the
last plank in the Republican State
Platform, which must have en-
anated in the mind of some radical
reactionary or demagogue,
| would but be to repeal the
splendid highways laws of our
State and set road building bac.:
abolish the State Highway Depart
ment would be to abandon all present
plans for the construction and main
enance of a splendid State System OF
| main market roads and inter-county
highways. +
The Ohio Good Roads Federation
stands for National highways The
| National Government should con-
| ,truct system Of National Highways
embracing those roads which are now,
,r will come to be interstate in char
| ,cter. Such National Highways will
| supplement the State Highways by
connecting the systems Of adjoining
states. These should be built and
maintained by the National Govern
ment. ,.......
Each state should construct sys-
tenn of state highways embracing
main market roads and inter-county
highways and thus bind together all
portions of the State. These state
highways will supplement the county
road. by connecting the system Of ad-
Joining counties. These state high
ways should be constructed under the
supervision Of the State Highway
Department. paid;for by the state and
Che counties and maintained by the
state OUT Of moneys derived from the
tax on automobiles. y ~ ~ II
Each county should construct a sys-
tenl Of county roads connecting with
the main market and inter-county
highways and thus bind together all
parts Of the counties. These county
roads, will act as feeders for the main
market and inter-county highways and
should be built and maintained by the
counties.
Each township should construct its
system of local roads as feeders to
the county roads. Due to their, light
traffic, their cost of maintenance will
not be a great burden on the town.
ships.
All attempts to build roads by
first building local roads have failed,
and not until trunk lines were con-
structed was there any material ad-
vance in railroad building. The con-
struction of main market or inter-
county highway always brings de-
sire for, and building of, local con-
Meeting roads as feeders. Otherwise
there is no desire or reason for the
existance of local feeders, except the
accommodation Of the people who live
along them and as community roads.
In railroad construction all the
branch lines we're built after the trunk
lines were established. It must be
the same with wagon roads, While
discrimination as between districts
is neither wise nor fair, nevertheless
if any should be favored it is our
farm and rural districts. They need
roads more than urban centers: and,
what is more, they need help to build
them. They cannot of themselves
furnish the needed funds. How can
they get the roads they must have |?
This question was answered by the
present General Assembly Of Ohio in
the enactment of the half mill levy,
which is being SO we'll expended under
the supervision Of our State Highway
Denartment. To change our present