Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-10-26
HEAD IS
FOR GOODROADS
Answers Question IS to Workers
Interest in Bond Issue as
Put by Committee.

I = Barney COhen, state director OF
labor for Illinois, in reply to com
munication from the good roads
committee asking: What interest
/ has organized labor in the vote on
( the good roads issue in Novemb Der -
makes the following statement:
"Laboring men are asking the
question every day, How does the
/ $50, 900, 900 bond issue affect labor p
and l wish to get before them what
I believe the right answer to this
important question.
First, the good roads issue is
not one which concerns the farmer
alone, as many suppose. 1t is of
vital Importance to every man, wo-
man and child who consumes or
helps to consume what the farmer
produces.
1T is of special importance to the
laboring interests of the state, as
it furnishes a sure, automatic and
paying market for over s30,00C,000
worth of labor in the state.
In order to understand the good
roads question thoroughly, it is
necessary to consider that there are
$4,000 miles Of roadways in Iii
noiS. OF this $4,000 miles, but 500
miles have been hard surfaced OF
this 500 miles Of hard surfaced
roads, the greater part is in Cook
county. To exceed $4,000 miles of
mud roads, therefore, are in exist
ence in the great commonwealth of
Illinois.
AS it is now, the farmer often
finds the average dirt road almost
impossible for his wagons or au-
tOmObile when he wishes to get to
town or to haul away his produce
to market.
and it is the working man who
must pay for the added cost of
hauling the goods over the mud
road.
In order to build the necessary
hard roads, a majority of voters Of
the state must vote yes on the
good roads bonds issue in NoYem-
Der. This bond issue provides that
$500 600 will be taken out of the
amount paid by automobile owners
for licenses, and this sum used to
construct q state system of hard
roads 4,800 miles in extent, these
roads to be constructed in period
of about five years.
First of all, the automobile own
ers are for it-they are very glad
to have their automobile license
fees go, in part, to build better road
ways.
Second, taxes will not be in
creased, as there will be notla cent
of direct expense of any kind to the
people through extra taxes.
Third, this proposed measure
does not take effect until after we
have won the war. Labor is now
thoroughly employed. and even the
great need for hard roads will not
be permitted to interfere in any
way with the work of winning the
war.
Fourth, from the most careful
estimates by men familiar with road
building. it can be surely asserted
that of the 100000, 600 coming from
the proceeds of automobile licenses
that at least one-haIf, or $30,0O0,00O,
will be paid to labor for its work
in building these roads
fright here is where labor scores
in this proposed bond issue. Some
economists go so far as to say that
periods Of depression always follow
the closing of great wars-due to
the causes mentioned
IF this is so, the best insurance
against such a depression in the /
state of Illinois will be not only
work provided for a large number /
of workers. but the sure, beneficial /
III
of $3O,000,000 to the I
working men who will be called .
up 10 build these roads.
Even though working man t
does not himself do any work on .
this enterprise, yet he will be IA /
vorably affected by it, for he will /
not be subjected to the competition |
of those who will be employed. |
Workers at skilled trades will be |
better enabled to maintain the pres /
ant prices paid for their service if T
the state is employing 100000 900 /
worth of labor on a state enter (
prise. With WOrkmen drawing this .
sum, not only will a vast working
force be withdrawn from cOmpeti-
tive industry, hut the distribution
Of this vast sum among the work
ers will tend to render stable all
Industrial enterprises.
Distribute $30,0O0000 among
hose workers who will be actively
employed in the enterprise. and this
sum viii be redistributed among
other workers to pay for everything
hat labor produces
The voter who fails to vote on
he good roads proposition on the
little ballot is really casting q vote
lgainst it. as a majority of all votes
asst at the election is necessary to
make it valid"