The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-02-20
Were He Living To-day and
Wanted to Take His Faml-
Iy to Some Market.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19.-"Wisdom
is the principal thing; therefore &c,
wisdom; and with all thy getting un'
derstanding." That Is one of the pro-
verbs of Solomon, the wisest OF al!
men. II he were living in one of the
country districts in the United States
today, and wanted 10 take his family
to some market or other town Ae
would doubtless exhort the people tc
build good roads. Estimating the dead
weight of his family at one hundred
pounds per person It would be neces-
sary for him to provide transportation
for one hundred thousand pounds, or
fifty tons, and the average cost OF
hauling on the common roads OF this
country is twenty-three cents per ton
per mile or for distance OF ten
miles $1,000 which would be prohi-
bitive rate in the case of Transports
ton for the members of ones family.
The railroads would do the same work
with better accommodations at three
cents the mile and the railroads in
the United States have been bonded
to the extent of about $12,000,000,OOO
They could not have been financed in
any other way, and this is why, II he
were living now on the rural free de-
livery route, Solomon would exhort all
the people to vote for the issue Of
bonds in aid of road construction, In
the first place because it is the most
direct and economical and approved
way Of doing the thing, and because
all the other methods which have been
followed for centuries have failed to
give the country what is needed for
the promotion Of its Industrial, COM
merclal and social life.
One of the most illuminating and
convincing statements made up the
subject of County Bond Issues FOL
Road Improvement" is contained IN
the correspondence between L. y
Johnson and D. II, Barger. Thell
letters were printed in pamphlet form
and widely distributed in the state Of
Virginia about four years ago but
there has been little added to the
fundamentals since this debate took
place. 1t was this way: the judge
of the circuit court Of Tazewell coull'
ty ordered an election in that county
on the question Of issuing S625OOC
bonds for the purpose Of constructing
roads in that county. Mr.. johnson
who is president Of the Norfolk and
Western Railroad, as one Of the lars-
est taxpayers in the county, was ask
ed to say whether he was in favol
of tho proposed bond issue and why
and he asked Mr.. Gurger, who did mol
agree with him, to say why he was
opposed to the issue. There was only
one side of the question left after MT
johnson finished his argument. Ills
reasons were based upon an economic
business proposition, coupled with the
unuucstionable benefits that would ac'
crue to the people Of the county from
an educational, religious and soca
VleWpOlll. l hG Noot VI IduiAho w
point Of railroad transportation would
bc reduced at least one-half. That
would be ample return to the people
of the county for the bonds issued IN
this behalf. "The best schools arc
always situated on good roads, the
worst schools on bad roads, The
average school attendance the year
around in communities provided with
goods roads is over eighty per cent;
the average attendance in conmunl-
ties handicapped by bad roads is some
times as low as thirty per cent and
rarely exceeds seventy per cent. ANY,
body with children to educate Will
perceive the great advantage to them
OF good roads. Eighteen per cent OIL
the road mileage of the county carries
about ninety per cent OF the tralllc
and ninety miles Of the main roads OF
Tazewell county would be sufficient
to take care of the principal trallc
Of the county. The amount OF bonds
to be issued would amply take care
Of the main Highways, built at q cost