Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-06-04

for on it's successful solution will de-
pend the steady increase In the mile
age of good roads.
There are only two ways Of raising
money for such work, direct taxation
and the sale of bonds. A small amount
of public road work is done annually
by private subscription, but 1t is too
insignificant to be considered In the
general problem.
Proper knowledge Not Used.
The annual sum that can be raised in
any limited district by direct taxation
is too small, as a rule. for the main
tenance OF existing roads and any ex-
tensive permanent reconstruction. On
the other hand, the annual road taxes
Of A whole state yield a very large sum,
which ought to furnish far better re-
suits than it does. The trouble with
the work done with these taxes is that
II is not carried out with the knowl-
edge, energy and economy necessary
to achieve the largest measure of sue
cess A recent report by the state high
way commission of Arkansas explains
the trouble in that state, which is also
the trouble in most states, as follows:
Under our present lack of system
the enormous sum of s1,20o.000 per
year is being spent from the general
three mill tax alone, with no great i'm
provement over conditions OF the past.
Our present Ia" PROVIDES tndt edcn
county be divided into numbers of road
districts. and that the taxes collected
in any district be spent only In that
. district. PULASKI county is divided into
twenty-six road districts. several Of
which do not have more than 5000 per
year These small districts are each
in charge of a road overseer. l ven
ture the assertion that per cent OF
our road overseers have never spent
an hour in reading up on road mat
Il ~ hi aroa
il is the system which Is to blame.
Their term Of office is indeterminate In
some cases. their pay is small. and,
| lastly. their labor. known as free labor
Furnished In place of a money tax.
is very unsatisfactory in most cases
because Of the ever-changing organi-
cation. By the time man gets In
shape to do something his time is up.
Could Accomplish Far More.
II is really no wonder that a farmer
who knows no other system of road
construction than that outlined in this
quotation or an equivalent is not in
clined toward real road improvement.
He knows that his taxes, or his labor
given in place of taxes, yield an in
significant return. He does not know
that the same money and labor spent
a the right time and in the right way
would accomplish far more. One of the
X
how to stop the waste of large sums
through ignorance. A great improve
,nent can be made by placing the work
under overseers who are Intelligent,
energetic and faithful and then plac-
ing these overseers under competent
technically trained men. who can not
only guide the oVerseers. but also have
SUFFICIENT personal influence to educate
the people to appreciation of how
much can be accomplished IL the avail
able means are used properly. Finally,
the whole work should be guided by
a state highway commission. able TO
exert restraint where there Is a tend
ency toward hazardous experiment or
extravaganza and to stimula interest
where conservatism or meager
sources have prevented any progress.
Pennsylvania and every other state
has this problem of financing the local
roads, and none has solved it salts
| factorfly. But a great deal has been
accomplished in many states. and there
lis a general feeling that the recently
! organized American Association of