The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1914-11-26
NEED OF A STATE
HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT..

Tennessee has made remarkable
progress during the past five vars in
public road Improvement and nothing
has been done in other ways to in
crease the general wealth, happiness
and prosperity of all the people as the
result obtained by improving our
highways. Anyone who questions this
who remembers conditions five years
ago where the highways have been
improved in that time has now only
to travel over the improved roads in
those sections to find proof abundant.
He will appreciate the comfort and
luxury of the trip over the improved
roads over that of the old but the
things that will impress him mOsc Will
be the improved farms, remodeled
homes, well kept out buildings, in
striking contrast to former conditions.
Let him try to buy land and he will
be asked double the price he would
have been before the road improve
ment.
Still he does not see all the bene-
fits. Let him go to the city, town
or village to which the road leads and
he will find the merchants are getting
more business from that section be-
cause they are producing more, are
more prosperous and are buying more
for their comfort and convenience.
With such convincing evidence of
the manifold advantages of good roads
how can we afford to call a halt in
our efforts in this direction until we
have a perfect system of good roads
for the entire state. We have made
progress in the past five years but
there is room for improvement, room
for economy, room for working out a
comprehensive system for the entire
state. So far the counties have been
considering system for the particu-
lar county, not looking for the roads
to build, filling into a system Tor the
entire state that would make the roads
of the greatest possible value.
We need and must have a state
highway commission to accomplish
these things, by having the right kind
of commission we can be assured
that we will get the greatest road
value for the money expended, and
will also insure provision for the
maintenance of the roads as well as
for their construction.
Our state legislature will convene
in short time. This question is
going to be considered. Every COM
munity owes it to its citizens to or
ganize for an aggressive campaign for
a state wide system of highways where
the right kind of system of roads
will be built and maintained The
value of good roads have been con-
clusively proven that just as in Il @
past five years the work will go on in
road districts, communities and coun-
ties and to those sections will drift the
progressive settlers to invest their
capital. From those sections will come
evidences of prosperity while as dur
ing the past five years the non pro-
gressive sections will continue to drift
and backward and not forward. We |
do not want that to be longer said o..
any community in Tennessee. With !
an intelligent aggressive campaign |
for highway Improvement we have ev-
erything to gain and nothing to lose |
so let's not have this work confined |
to few progressive sections, but |
place every county in the progressive |
column.
AS to the question of cost of taxes,
any sane man can readily see who |
will try, that the non pro sressive
counties in road improvement in Ten
nessee are paying two dollars tax 10
mud roads with their attendant dis
to one dollar paid by the
counties who are taking care of bond
issues that have provided them with
system of good roads. The counties
which pay for the good roads are get
ting their moneys worth, while the
counties paying the mud tax in dou-
BILE the amount are getting nothing
for their loss and inconvenience
Tennessee now has state highway
association, non partisan organization
perfected by bringing together those
who have been active in road improve
ment in their respective sections that
would insure concert of action, a per-
feet system for the entire state, ex- /
pert engineering supervision and econ
omy of construction with state super
vision and maintenance. AS an evidence s
of the sincerity and honesty of pur-
pose and want of selfish interest is
the fact that the officers and members
of this. association are giving their
time, intelligence and energy without
One cent of compensation to them per-
5Onally.
The object of the association is not
to hinder or interfere in any way with
road Improvement or those in charge
Of it. but to blend all our efforts for
broader, more comprehensive and at
the same time more economic results.
1t is important to have county or
in every county in the state