Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 February 1914 — GROWTH OF HOAD IRK IR UNITED STATES UNPRECEDENTED IN 1913 [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GROWTH OF HOAD IRK IR UNITED STATES UNPRECEDENTED IN 1913

expenditures for the Past Year Will Approximate $185,0Cp,OOO—Period Has Been One of Notable Achievements in Relation to the Improvement of the Nation’s Highways— Many States Had “Good Roads” Day.

In 1904 the first road census ever taken in the United States was conducted by the, office of public roads of the department of agriculture. This census showed that for that year there was expended on the roads of the country about $80,000,000. Our road expenditures have steadily increased each year since,, and'in 1912 they approximated the grand total of $163,000,000, or more than double the amount shown by the 1904 census. As the same percentage of increase was maintained for 1913 as averaged for the period 1904-1912 the exenditure for the current year should approximate $185,000,000. However, these figures tell only a •mall part of the present road situation in the United States, for the past year has been one of notable achievements in relation to highways. It was conspicuous for the development of sounder methods of road finance, for the adoption of better and more businesslike methods of road administration, for the writing of better and more practical legislation on our statute books, for the advancement in engineering practice in road

construction and maintenance and for the general trend and awakening of public opinion and public interest in ail matters pertaining to the betterment of the roads of the country. The practice of designating “good roads days” by the governors of states acquired considerable popularity

During the year Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, , Minnesota, Missouri. Nebraska, North Carolina and Washington by executive proclamation set aside one or more days as “good roads days,” upon which 1 all citizens,, rural or urban, rich or poor, were called upon to don overalls and participite in work industriously donated to the improvement of the public roads. Minnesota went so far as to provide by legislative enactment for an annual "good roads day.” Down in Arkansas the governors of four states got together for a day and worked on the roads with men of all classes and conditions. On this day Governor Hays of Arkansas was assisted by Governor Hall of Louisiana, Governor Hodges of Kansas and Governor Major of Missouri, and it is said that no humble citizen In any of the road gangs did better work than d;d the chief executives of those four gieat commonwealths. However, the biggest thing about this “gojd roads day" movement is not the actual work done on the roads, but the moral effect of this great volunteer movement and the interest it arouses in the good roads cause. ■>. The automobile continues to occu py the somewhat anomalous position of the greatest ropd builder and at the same time the greatest road destroyer. The of Maine is building a great system of state highways by simply capitalizing the revenue from her automobile registration and allied fees, while the great state of New York finds ‘ts highway department severely taxed to so maintain its system of 3 600 miles of state roads as to prevent their deterioration. €>ver a milium automobiles now pass over our public roads annually, which means that millions of men, women and children find recreation, health aod pleasure in the fresh air. the life-giving sunshine and glorious economy of the open road and the Joy of our matchless fields and forests, nllls and mountains.

/ No wonder that every one is an enthusiast for better roads. What if good roads do cost money? The whole automobile industry pays its equal share of general road taxation, and, in" addition, a large revenue through registration and license fees which aggregate very nearly $10,000,000 a year. This vast sum is. generally applied strictly to road maintenance. The two great questions to be determined in this connection are, what part of the wear and tear on our roads is directly due to the automobile traffic, and how can this wear and tear be minimized? Autoists are not averse to paying their full share, but quite naturally they do not want to pay any more, and at present we have no very definite means of determining just what this share is. Public enthusiasm is largely overcoming the want of funds. 1 Great interstate and transcontinental roads are being built almost, one would say, by magic. The “Santa Fe Trail,” the “Lincoln Way,”" the “Meridian Road,” and many others have been routed and so improved from local revenues and public subscriptions as to invite the tourist.

Thirty-five states now grant some form of state gid. fourteen states have more or less perfected provision for utilizing the state convicts in building improved roads.

Last year counties, townships and special road districts issued $29,000,000 in bonds for building better roads. Millions more were also raised from special tax levies. it has been a banner year in all lines pertaining to road improvements. Based on present incomplete returns, the total construction of hard surfaced roads during the last year will reach 15,000 miles. The worldfamed “Appian Way” only had a total length of 360 miles. Legislative enactments have been extremely numerous, and the majority in the right direction. Of the 41 state legislatures in session during the last year, every one had under serious consideration many matters pertaining to the improvement of the public roads, and a large number passed more or less fundamental road legislation. Three states —Arkansas, Montana and South Dakota —joined the ranks having state highway departments, while seven others provided for reorganization of their highway departments so as to make them more efficient and effective in carrying out the work of improving the roads of the state. The federal government has also. contributed to the good work. The $500,000 appropriated near the close of the fiscal year 1912 for rural delivery and experimental roads is being expended equally in each state, the state or local community contributing $2 to every dollar appropriated by the government. The office of public roads of the department of agriculture has continued _tO; give engineering advice and assistance, to gather statistics and data relative to roadrbuliding, to test materials, to carry on experiments, investigations and research, and to desseminate information by bulletins and public lectures and demonstrations. Public sentiment is more generally

favorable to road Improvement today than ever i before. This Is the outgrowth of the work of the American Highway association, one of the objects pf which was the correlation of such efforts.

Very tangible evidence of this spirit of co-operation and harmony ,waa shown by the American road congress held in Detroit. This congress was held under the joint auspices of the American Highway association and its affiliated organizations and associations, the American Automobile association and the Michigan State Good Roads association. /

It was undoubtedly the greatest road congress ever held in America. The subjects that were discussed encom-

passed all phases of the road subject. The discussions for the most part were by experienced highway officials and engineers. A similar congress was held in Atlantic City in 1912, but the recent congress was participated in by a greater number of affiliated associations throughout the country, was attended by a larger number of delegates, and the discussions covered a wider scope of practical road questions and will prove a more abundant source of reliable information to road officials throughout the country.

Gov. Elliott Major.

Gov. Hall of Louisiana.