The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-09-04
Which Declares Against The
Roads System
And Shows The Danger That
Is Now Lurking

CDlumDuS, Va OtpI l-JeSoo ldyioi,
president of the Ohio Good Roads Fed
Grafton, and the man who put the bet
{ ter in Better Roads" took rap at
that part of the platform of the Repub
lican party which relates to the road
question and seeks to destroy all the
] present plans for state construction Of
8 main market roads, state cooperation
. and supervision of the construction of
inter-county highways and state main
tenance of main market roads and in
ter-county highways In part, Mr.. Tay-
lof said:
Several years ago the Ohio Good
Z Roads Federation, an organization
composed of men who had nothing to
sell which enters into the construc-
ton and maintenance of public roads,
inaugurated statewide campaign for
road improvement in Ohio, and the
Ohio Good Roads Federation Is noW
zone of the most powerful organizations
of this state and is state division Of
the National Highways association.
THE present laws which govern the
operation of the state highway depart
ment and provide for the construction
of main market roads and intercounty
highways were prepared by the Feder-
alton, proposed to the general assem-
bly, and enacted into laws. To follow
the suggestion of the last plank in the
Republican state platform, which must
have emanated 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 back where it was TWEEN
ty years ago To abolish the state
highway department would be to aban-
don all present plans for the construc-
tion and maintenance OF a splendid
state system Of main market roads and
.jnter-county highways.
stands for
National Highways
The national government should con
: struct a system OF national highways
embracing those roads which are now,
or viii come to be, Interstate in char
acter Such national highways viii
supplement the state highways by con
Meeting the systems of adjoining
states. These should be built and main
tained by the national government.
State Highways
Each state should construct sys'
lem OF state highways embracing main
market roads and inter-county high
ways and thus bind together ali por-
lions Of the state. These state high
ways will supplement the county roads
by connecting the system OF adjoining
counties. These state highways should
be constructed under the supervision
Of the state highway department, paid
lor by the state ana the counties and
~ aintained by the state out of moneys
derived from the tax on automobiles.
County Roads
Each county should construct a sys
lem OF county roads connecting Will
he main market and inter-county high
ways and thus bind together all part
OF the counties. These county roads
wiIi act as feeders for the main mar
ket and inter-county highways ant
chould be built and maintained by thu
counties.
Township Roads
Each township should construct IL
system OF local roads as feeders TO tn
county roads. Due to their light trai
&c. their cost OF maintenance will no
be a great burden on the townships.
All attempts to build roads by frs
building local roads have failed, an
rot until trunk lines were constructe
nas there sny material advance d
oad building. The construction OF