The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1915-02-11
|: TO THE FARMERS
Of TENNESSEE
= BY CAPT. T. F. PECK,
Commissioner of Agriculture.
GOOD ROADS.

NOhiuhAty' AnC oIdteb lue COun
and the town cannot reach their higl
est rate eof prosperity until all Il
more than 10000 mites of publ
highways in Tennessee have been r,
paired and improved. The necessit
as well as the value of good road
cannot be considered rebatable, an
all parties are united in the desir
that some means be found to brin
about the needed Improvement.
The public roads of Tennessee be
long to the people of The State, an
the public officials and the privat
citizens of the State can no NOR
shirk the responsibility for their i'm
provement and maintenance thai
. they can evade or shirk the response
bility of protecting their homes ant
giving their children an opportunit!
TO reducation.
There has been carried on, by tn,
newspapers of the state, and by gooC
roads organizations, consistent ant
earnest campaign for better roads
'@he federal government has Quilt
several miles of good roads in the
state for demonstration purposes
many counties in the state have built
and improved their public roads by
the issuance of long term bonds; 9TH
err counties have bought turupikes
which had been constructed by pri-
vate parties or corporations, and the
sentiment his spread until the time
is now ripe, in my opinion for action
by the general assembly looking to
some state system, through state aid
or otherwise.
During the last fifteen years more
than $S,000,000 has been raised
through bond issue in the counties
named and expended for the construc-
ton and improvement of pubulic road
This amount is exclusive of the regu-
lar highway tax levied and expended
by the counties in their civil dis
tricts, and of the labor expended by
the roads by the citizens under our
obsolete system. This tax varies
from to 20 cents on 500 and for the
entire stare would probably amount
to, including money and labor, near
ly $1,OO0,OOO.
How much of the money rallied
through the sale of bonds and through
the tax levies has been misapplied
or wasted will never be known. 1t
would not be far from the mark to
say so per cent. Had this money
been expended under the direction of
a competent civel engineer, employed
by state highway commission, it is
quite certain that most of that which
was wasted or misapplied could have
been saved. Better Grads would have
lbeen constructed, they would last
longer and their maintenance would be |
les scostly 1t is therefore, appar-
ent to every one who has given this |
question any thought that there
should be some general legislation in
this state. A safe highwty commits
sion, with power to employ a compe-
tent engineer is favored by many.
This engineer should be at the SER
win cf nfry MI IN,
the State desiring and ready to i'm
prove, reconstruct, rebuild or relo-
cate its roads.
The present general assembly will
have an opportunity to do great
deal to help highway Improvement in
the state by enacting some such legis-
1ation. If state highway commits
sion is created under new law, it
should have some power. 1t should
have an appropriation sufficient to
maintain officers and to employ such
an engineer as is mentioned above.
In considering what would be best
for Tennessee the system in use in
other state would be studied, and il
possible to advise ways to raise the
necessary money, some system of
state aid to counties or communities
should be adopted.
1t has been recommended and sug-
gested that some system should be
provided for the working of convicts
on the public roads. believe that
this should be done-especially the
short term convicts.
I want to repeat that there is NO
more important question to day be-
fore the people than that of good
roads. The farmer is beginning to
understand what would be meant to
him by easy and cheap access to the
markets for his products, and their
great advantage to his family in
reaching the schools. and churches.
Social activities in the rural COM
munities need all the encouragement
that can possibly be given, and the
condition of the country road is a
prime consideration to enable farm
ers and their families to enjoy this
social intercourse,
1t is to be hoped that the present
genera lassembly will at least take
some action that will help to keep
alive and stimulate the sentiment for