The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-12-12
PERMANENT ROADS.

PERMANENT ROADS.
Good roads is one of the subjects to
which the Kansas legislators are likely
to give considerable attention at their
forthcoming session. At any rate, they
, should. 1t is one OF the big questions
| in Kansas these days that are pressing
| for a solution. There Is almost general
agreement now that the present hit
and-miss system of improving the high
WAYS is well-nigh worthless ana ex-
ceedingly expensive; in other words. an
utter waste Of money. Improved roaos
are only good roads as long as ''.'
are maintained in perfect rephii.
Hence it follows that the cneapesl
good road in the long run is the one
that is most durable, that is ieast IN
previous to the assaults OF bad weatheI
and the wear of vehicular tramc- Anu
experience has already taught mat lne
only sort of a permanent road that c0n
be built is of either the macaoam OF
the rock variety. Other states nave
found this out. Kansas is learning H.
but at a heavy cost. 1t Is true ina.
the improved dirt road such as can be
most easily made in Kansas IS loeai
for automobiling and all other varietles
of highway travel when it is IN nrst-
class condition. and not too dusty, But
the rub comes in keeping one In sucn
shape. And so it would seem that II
Kansas is to get into the good roaos
procession as she should and as Will be
of most benefit to her people, some sys-
tematic plan for the building OF per-
manent highways will have to be
worked out.
]. Frank Smith, of Pleasanton. presi-
dent of the Eastern Kansas Good Roads
association, whose territory covers the
counties of Linn, Miami. Bourbon. An
derson, Franklin and Johnson. and his
organization are in favor Of perma-
nent road building, and which will be
applied first to the construction OF
roads between the several county seats
He outlines such a measure and dis
cusses the good roads question in
letter which he has sent out recently.
and parts from which follow:
1.-THE subject of good roads legislation
will be a very live one at the beginning
of the session and the chances are that
there will be a dozen or more bills in
troduced. I believe that one bill should
incorporate all the needed legislation.
credit of Kansas will require a great
deal Of work. I want to see one pro-
vision in the new law that will make it
easy and popular for the counties to
begin building system of permanent
roads connecting all the county seat
towns in Kansas. This can be done by
each county levying a half mill tax
each year and investing the funds in
four roads radiating from the
county seat toward the county seat
towns in the four adjoining counties. |
less than ten years every county |
seat in Kansas. especially the eastern |
two thirds of the state, could be con-
nected by a permanent road. The tax
would be very light and no bonds.
''Scott township, Bourbon county, has |
demonstrated the success of this plan |
by building seven rock roads from Fort |
Scott to the township line during the
last few years and at no time was the |
tax levy over half mill. Everybody |
in that township is delighted with the
roads and other parts Of the |
county are planning to start some sys- |
tenn that will bring the same results.
Many of the counties have desig- |
mated certain roads as county roads !
under the present law. These county !
roads carry over eighty per cent of the |
travel and when these roads are made |
permanent and extended to connect all
county seat towns the people will really |
have a system Of hard roads that will |
be quite complete both for county, in |
and state travel.
ITO carry out this plan a state high |
be quite necessary, but it would find |
plenty Of important work to do in the |
interest of good roads. Kansas can
probably have no federal aid in build |
ing roads, nor even do any road work /
herself until the constitution is
and if this plan were adopted !
by the present legislature any county |
that wanted to begin could do the pre- |
liminary work at once and the tax levy |
could be made next fall and the work |;
on the roads be started before twelve !
from the passage of the law.
kansas is at the bottom of the list |
il the matter of improved roads. Our |
total of permanent roads is only 275
miles. Ohio has 24,106 miles of hard
roads and the state has a law providing |
for a system of improved inter-county |
highways and under this law the people !
petitioned the state highway commits |
sioner this year for over 5000 miles Of
permanent roads. If Kansas would !
once get started on the right system
our roads would soon be improved as
rapidly as those of Ohio or Indiana or
any other state
THE MOVIES IN EDUCATION.
Only the ostrich type of educator
can fail to recognize that the motion !
picture represents a new force, a new
tool which liVe-rniuded men and