West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-01-06
STATE AID FOR
PUBLIC ROADS
They Are Improved Only to a
Slight Extent.
HAULING COST TOO HIGH.
For Most Farmers Public Highways
Are the Only Means Of Transports
ton Leading From Point Of Produe-
tion to Point Of consumption-Pros-
ress Of State Road Management.

ress Of State Road Management.
Prepared by United States department OF
agricultural
The public roads throughout the
country, which constitute the primary
means Of transportation for ali agricul-
tural products, for many millions OF
tons OF forest, mine and manufactured
products and which for large percent
age of farmers are the only avenues of
transportation leading from the point
of production to the point of consump-
tion or rail shipment, have been i'm.
proved to only a slight extent. BY rea.
son of this fact the prevailing cost OF
hauling over these roads is about %
cents per ton mile.
More than 350,O0O,0O0 tons are haul
ed over our public roads each year, and
the average haul is about eight miles,
from which II can readily be seen that
our annual bill for hauling is nearly
S0J0,000 600. The cost per ton mile
for hauling on hard surfaced roads
should not exceed 10 cents. 1t Is there
adequately improved n large annual
saving In the cost of hauling would
result. Railroad freight rates are about
IA mills per ton mile.
Under the system OF local manage
ment which succeeded the toll systems
aud the road building activities Of the
federal government tax burdens for
road purposes rested almost entirely
upon farm property. Since the cities
generally escaped these responsible
ties and burdens, this condition was
inequitable, produced inadequate reve-
nue. and resulted in a very widespread
stagnation In the building OF improved
roads. A further inequity resulted
from the fact that traffic in its devel-
opment took no account OF county and
township boundaries, so that frequent
ly the traffic from one county destroy
ed the roads OF another county, which
In turn found itself unable to obtain
redress. Modern traffic gave rise to
new and difficult problems of cOnstruc-
ton, which the limited skill Of local
officials was unable to solve. Road
taxes were, to great extent, worked
out by unframed, undiscipllned road
hands. Most of the road work con-
sisted In patching from year to year,
and little tangible progress could be
shown for the money and labor ex-
pended. These conditions rendered
state action ultimately imperative, and
New Jersey In 1891 was the first state
to take definite action through leglsla-
tive enactment. Other states rapidly
followed the precedent set by New
Jersey, and this progress was greatly
accelerated by the advent of the auto
mobile.
or the progress OF state road man
agement it may be said that forty-four
states have thus far established high
way departments for educational or ad.
ministrative work, and OF these thirty
have made actual appropriations I'm aid
OF ROAD construction or maintenance.
In all $2OS,000,0OO had been appropri-
ated frcm state funds between 1891
and Jan. 1, 1915, for construction,
maintenance, administration and edu-
cational road work, and total OF
about $1,000 miles OF improved roads
is the evidence TO show that this ex-
penditure was not I'm vain. These roads
were built for the most part as a Joint
state and local undertaking, so that a
large local outlay not included In the
state total was involved. At the pres
ent time only the states OF Indiana,
Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas
have no provision for any sort OF state
participation In road work
Summarized briefly, the essentials
to successful state highway admins.
tration, as demonstrated by the expert
encs Of the various state highway de-
paFtments, are as follows: (a) The
elimination OF politics as a factor In
state highway work, (b) the control by
the state highway department OF all
work on which state funds are ex-
pended; (e) adequate appropriations for
continuous maintenance OF highways
under efficient supervision from the
day the highways are completed; Id
state supervision as TO surveys, plans
and specifications OF roads and bridges
constructed under bond issues and su-
Pervision OF such other road and bridge
work as requires considerable cash
outlay and the exercise Of engineering
skill and knowledge.