Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-11-10

IN SPITE of the fact that the expense OF
4 conducting the departments Of the Ma
uonal Government this year exceeds the eX-
pense Of running the same departments dur
ing the last year of the Republican adminis-
trauon by 100000 a month, or $3600O00O
annually Cthe figures are Senator Borahs),
the Democratic majority did not get It all at
the long session. and will doubtless come
back next month hungrer than ever for
spoils. What's billion dollars among Demo-
Gratis in an age of simplicity when compared
with the rapacity Of the Republicans when
they were in control?
A r LEAST two considerable financial prop
n ositions got away from the predatory
politicians at the late session-Jonathan
Bourno's very modest plan of securing the
credit Of the United States to the extent OF
$4,000 100000 in aid of the construction of good
roads, and Representative Shackelford's bill
appropriatnE $25, 100000 annually for term
of years for the same worry good purpose Inc
Shackelford bill was an Improvement on the
Bourne proposition, every CRATER Will thinK'
since 1t proposed in effect to shovel out $Zo'-
OOO 600 a year to be expended by the county
Commissioners i'm the states at their pleasure
and without Federal supervision 1t was not
even provided in his bill that the money
bupulu DC tNptuutu Abl hN1'N ~N'''N>
although that would have been the decision
of the courts within "the rule Of reason" 1t
was sloppy, grating, ill-considered effort
to break into the Treasury, and 1t faileo'
Failed at the late session, along with some
so or so other road propositions Of greater OF
less merit but It will come up again at the
next session with another brood OF propaulS
even more brazen-faced attempts at puohc
robbery under the label Of public service
These propositions will probably be discussed
at least they ought to be, at the convention
of the American Highway Association ana
affiliated bodies in Atlanta now In session.
and by experts in highway work from every
State in the Union, by men who kno" the
subject. and not by politicians oent upon
gaining some political advantage for them-
selves in their States and districts.
TT IS n CrvinE shame that In the State OF
| PENNSYLVANIA in 1909 only S.S4 per centum
of the s73S679 miles of public roads were
improyed Down to the year 1911, the ROADS
improved by state aid in Pennsylvania were
only s36 miles. In 1912 and 1918 the state
roads, surveyed and mapped, covered SSzS
miles, This is a sorry showing Tor really
the richest and greatest State In the Unlon'
II the political ways in Pennsylvania mad
not been so crooked doubtless the pubic
roads would have been straighter and better
Naturally, 1t could not be expected that even
so great a State as Pennsylvania could build
good roads and take care Of the pigpens at
League Island at the same time, and what
ever might be said about roads, the pigs
must be protectedl
AT THE recent meeting of the American
n Bankers Association, DR.. Logan Waller
Page. director of the United States Office OF
Public Roads gave much invaluable informa-
ton showing the magnitude of the subject
and arguing that the building of good
roads is a strictly business matter 1t should
be saved from the corrupting touch OF poll
tics The total length Of public roads in the
United States outside of incorporated cities
and towns Is a little more than 2,250,000
miles, or 10 times the road mileage of Eng
land This comparison, however, is not alto
gether in point, the area of the United
States is more than 60 times the size of
England including Wales. 1t is not how
many miles OF roads we have, but how many
miles OF improved roads; and, in proportion
to our size, we have everything to lose by
comparison with any of the highly civilized
countries in the world.
UNHE opponents of adequate road improve
i ment protest that the development of all
the public roads in the United States would
cost $1,000, O00. O0O at $4,000 per mile, and
the expenditure OF that enormous sum is not
to be considered seriously. 1t Is not neces-
sary that II should be, as Doctor Page has
pointed out that "for all practical purposes
the hard d-surfacing of from 20 to 25 per cent.
of our total road mileage Is all that is nee
essary." This conclusion is based on the