The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-04

Montgomery, August 2-(Spec1al. )--J. T. | German. examiner of public accounts, in
 response to numerous requests for an | article on good roads, has written the following able and comprehensive paper
 a"It is now universally recognized and admitted that good roads is one of the most vital and important questions be-
 fore the people for solution and adjust ment.
 In every state of the United States and in every county in Alabama this question | is receiving discussion and consdera- | tion
 | As means of communication and trans | portation good roads are absolutely nec-
 essary and the people are deeply in terested in the best and most economical method to obtain them.
 Before the domestication of animals and the invention of vehicles for transporta- ton, primitive men only had paths through the forests and trails across the prairies and over the hills and noun tains, like the American Indians.
 With the establishment of nations and empires and the consequent development and advancement of civilization, roads were constructed through different sec tions of these nations ,as means of com munication and transportation. l These roads were constructed at first for military necessities and subsequently, for commercial purposes. l The great nations of antiquity, Egypt. Eabylond, Assyria, Persia and Greece, constructed roads, over which to march | their armies and to convey their com mercial caravans.
 These roads were not constructed on | scientific principles, but generally fol- l lowed the lines of the least resistance or the greatest traction Rome was the first great nation to con- struct good roads All roads lead to Rome' was their motto, and the Romans constructed d system of roads that has been the model for all succeeding ages ! Like other nations. these roads were | constructed at first for military organ | ization and afterwards for commercial supremacy.
 After Rome had incorporated the known world in it's empire, this magnificent sys- tenn of road, inaugurated at the begin n1ng of its conquest of the world, was ex- tended to the confines of the empire. For several hundred years the Roman empire extended north and south 3001 ! miles and east and west 200O and con
 
 In this vast empire was constructed l3.o0o miles of the finest roads that had ever been known.
 These roads extended through Portugal, Spain. Italy. France, Belgium, Swtzer- | land and Austria to Rome 1 When Rome conquered England and | large portions of Asia and Africa, good | roads were constructed from the con | fines of all conquered nations to the Eng 1 fish channel and the Mediterranean sea so that there could be rapid communica- : tion with Rome
 These roads were largely constructed by prisoners captured in war | In Europe. Asia and Africa many of 1 these old Roman roads are still in use some of them constructed 2ooo years ago, ! and these roads were one of the finest l legacies that Rome left for the material l prosperity of the nations that arose or
 the ruins of the Roman empire l This IS especially true of the Routes Nationaf' of France
 France has 10000 miles of the hest a nd finest good roads in the world and they
 are practically a continuation and de. velopment of the system of Roman roads When the United States was colon
 'zeo the immigrants generally con structed their roads like those in the countries from which they came talk ing into consideration the difference il
 environments. For many years not much attention
 was paid to the construction of good
 roads in the United States
 It is only in the last few years that
 much interest has been manifested in this question.
 Experts say that the awakening ot
 the country to the importance and ne
 ccssity of good roads has been due to | a large extent to the principles of state
 aid to counties and local communities New Jersey inaugurated the move
 ment for good roads by enacting state
 highway law in 1891
 Massachusetts and Vermont enact ed
 similar laws in 1892
 The other states acted slowly. In 1904
 only 15 states had state highway laws In 1914 Al states have such laws In 1913 the 41 states appropria ted
 S3S, 755,0SS to supplement local expen
 ditures for the construction of good
 roads.
 The value of state aid must not be
 estimated by the amount of money alone. for most of the money for the construction of good roads must come from the counties
 In 1912 counties, districts and town ships in the United States paid $137.- 4a39S5 for good roads Complete figures for 1913 are not
 available, but they will not be less than lS151. .000. 900.
 To this must be added about s15.o0O 0o0, the value of labor in lieu of money In 1913 counties spent s16G,O00, 900
 the value of labor and the states s3s.- ono, 900 in round numbers in the con struction of good roads.
 The great value and importance of the s3S,000,00o appropriated by the states consists in the fact of the ex- pert supervision over the expenditure of a large part of the s2o4.ooo.ooo spent in the construction of good roads. :. Tn 1914 there are 20,741 miles of roads