 | University of Virginia record October 1, 1915 |  |
GOOD ROADS VERSUS BAD ROADS.
By Senator Swanson of Virginia.
Extracts from Congressional Records, July, 1911.
Mr. President: There is no question before the American people
today more important than the improvement of the public roads and
highways. The progress of this Nation in nearly all directions has
been phenomenal. We have established our preeminence in most
things. We have become the greatest manufacturing people in the
world, the products of our factories exceeding those of Britain and
Continental Europe combined. Our mines furnish the world more
than one-half of its mineral products and wealth. Our plains and
prairies are recognized as the granaries of the world. Cotton continues
the king of plants, and the world's comfort and clothing are
dependent upon the white fields of the South. We occupy today the
foremost place in the world's commerce, our exports now exceeding
those of Great Britain. Our wealth today is greater than that
of any other nation. Recently we have become supreme in finance,
our banking capital being the greatest possessed by any people. The
world's financial heart now throbs in New York, and its pulsation
affects the world. We now surpass all other nations in the amount
of colleges and splendid universities. In miles of railroad, navigable
rivers, and improved harbors we are unsurpassed. Our progress
in these directions has been so wonderful that its story reads
more like romance than history.
Yet, Mr. President, as amazing as are these varied achievements,
it is admitted that today we have the poorest public roads and highways
of any civilized nation. Of the 2,155,000 miles of public roads
within the United States, less than 200,000 miles are macadamized
or improved with hard surfacing. Thus, more than nine-tenths of
the public roads and highways of the United States during rainy
seasons are almost impassable. No other enlightened people in the
world are cursed with such a wretched condition. Our energies and
our money have been generously expended in every other direction,
except in the betterment of our public roads.
After careful examination and thoughtful consideration I am satisfied
that our neglect in this respect has been one of the greatest
misfortunes that has affected us as a people and should be remedied
as quickly as possible. No one can over-estimate the annual loss
incurred by our people in traveling and hauling over these wretched
public roads. Our internal commerce exceeds the interforeign commerce
of the entire world. It is estimated that 90 per cent of our internal
commerce must first or last be hauled over the public roads.
The average haul of this vast commerce over the public highways,
after careful investigation, has been estimated to be on an average
of a little more than 9.4 miles. The same careful investigation fixes
the average cost of hauling these products at 23 cents per ton per
mile. The cost of hauling per mile over the splendid roads of France
is on an average of about 7 cents per ton per mile. The average cost
in England and Germany is about 11 cents per ton per mile. If the
more important and main lines of our public-road system were improved
as are those of France, Britain, and Germany, it is estimated
by good authorities that our products could then be hauled over our
entire system of roads at a cost of 12 or 13 cents per ton per mile.
This would result in an annual saving in this item of hauling alone to
the people of the United States of more than $250,000,000. This is
the annual "mud tax" paid each year by the people of the United
States in hauling their products over poor roads. This loss, if wisely
and properly expended, would in 20 years macadam or furnish hard
surfacing to all the public roads within the United States. But this
does not include all the loss occasioned this country by its bad country
roads. The poor condition of the roads makes it unprofitable to
market much of the products of the farm. If the cost of transportation
and the cost of production exceed the selling price, it makes
it impossible for the producer to dispose of his products at a profit;
hence production is arrested. In many sections farmers fail to raise
certain crops because the cost of hauling them over miserable country
roads is so great that they sustain loss instead of profit. The national
loss from this source amounts annually to many million dollars. Our
bad roads, making it impossible in many sections to market certain
products of the farm, have prevented a great diversification of crops
which exists in France, England, and Germany, with their splendid
road system. We can not overestimate the loss and injury to agriculture
resulting from this source.
Bad Roads Cause People to Leave Country.
Another great detriment that has come to this Nation from its
wretched country roads is that it has forced the people to leave the
disclosed by the census returns. In 1790 only 3.4 per cent of our
population dwelt in our cities; in 1850, 12.5; in 1900 the percentage
was 40; in 1910 it was 46. This explains why so many acres of
fertile land still remain untilled, while the city, with its unsanitary
and unwholesome tenements, is crowded with human beings whose
standards of living and methods of life result in their mental, moral,
and physical decay. Statistics gathered by the Office of Public Roads
and compared with the reports of the United States census reveal
that in 25 counties, selected at random, possessing only 5.1 per cent
of improved roads in 1904, the decrease of population averaged 3,112
for each county for the 10 years between 1890 and 1900. The records
of this department further show that in 25 counties similarly selected,
which possessed an average of 40 per cent of improved roads,
there was an increase averaging 31,095 to the county. These significant
facts show more eloquently than language the great benefits accruing
from improved roads. Statistics gathered from the same
source show how education and school attendance are affected by
improved roads. These statistics show that in five States in which
about 34 per cent of the roads are improved 77 out of each 100 pupils
enrolled regularly attend the public schools. That in other five States
in which the improved roads only amount to 1.5 per cent only 59 out
of each 100 pupils enrolled regularly attend the public schools. These
figures prove more forcibly than language the advantages accruing
to education from good improved public highways.
Each census discloses that our urban population is very rapidly
increasing at the expense of our rural sections. This is not desirable.
It means an immense national loss, not only financially, but morally,
intellectually, and physically. The pleasures and profits of country
life are largely dependent upon the condition of the public roads.
Social intercourse and pleasure are only possible in those sections
where comfortable traveling is possible over the roads.
Good school facilities and good public roads go hand in hand.
They are companions which can not be separated. Carefully gathered
statistics disclose that efficient country schools and the attendance
of scholars are invariably dependent upon the condition of the
public roads.
The country has been the great nursery which has furnished the
men of genius and patriotism who have builded this mighty Nation.
We should do what we can to encourage our population to remain
there, and develop our wonderful soil and agricultural resources.
Then, the agricultural people of this Nation are the mighty sources
of patriotism and courage who will preserve this Nation in the coming
hours of storm and stress.
Bad Roads Hinder Development of Waste Land.
Another great loss sustained by this Nation on account of its
wretched public highways is that it has left undeveloped and uncultivated
more than 400,000,000 acres of available and desirable land in
the United States. If our roads were properly improved this land
would be at once occupied by thrifty and prosperous farmers, thus
adding greatly to the national wealth and power. Farm lands would
greatly increase in value from improved public roads, and the country
population would rapidly increase, greatly to the betterment of
the Nation, both morally and materially.
Some economists have estimated that the annual loss to this Nation
on account of wretched country roads exceeds more than
$400,000,000 annually. I do not believe this is an exaggeration.
There are 850,000,000 acres of improved and unimproved farm land
in the United States. It is estimated by the Agricultural Department
that good roads would increase the value of this land from $2 to $9
per acre. This great increase of value would more than pay for the
cost of improvement.
I feel justified in saying that one of the paramount questions before
the American people to-day is the improvement of our public-road
system. The farmer, in the future, in order to increase his
profits, must reduce the cost of transportation. As the farming lands
of Canada, South America, and Africa are opened and developed, the
farmers of this country will have greater competition. To meet this
competition, they will have to reduce either the cost of production
or the cost of transportation. I hope this Congress will not adjourn
without reducing greatly the cost of production. The cost of production
in this country is greatly enhanced by the excessive tariff
duties imposed upon everything purchased, on account of the Payne-Aldrich
bill.
The Democrats of the House of Representatives have sought to
bring the farmer relief from these excessive exactions by passing a
bill known as the farmers' free-list bill, which, if enacted into law,
will greatly reduce to him the cost of living and the cost of production.
I hope the Senate will promptly concur in the passage of this
bill, and this deserved relief will come to the great agricultural masses.
The cost of transportation to the farmer is composed, first, of hauling
over the public roads, and then over the railroad or steamboat
lines to the markets. Within the last 70 years the cost of transportation
over the railroads and waterways has greatly decreased, while
the cost of transportation over the country roads has been increased.
In 1837 railroad rates were 7⅓ cents per ton per mile. Now it is
estimated that the average cost of hauling by rail is 7.8 mills per
ton per mile, or about one-ninth of the original rate. Seventy years
ago the charge for hauling on the old Cumberland Pike was 17 cents
per ton per mile. This charge permitted a profit. It is now estimated
that the cost to the farmers, without profit, is 23 cents per ton
per mile. Thus, while transportation over railroads has decreased
to about one-ninth of what it was about 67 years ago, transportation
over the public roads has increased about 35 per cent. Water transportation
has so decreased that it now costs the farmer 1.6 cents
more to haul a bushel of wheat 9.4 miles from his barn to the depot
than it does to haul it from New York to Liverpool, a distance of
3,100 miles. This fact strikingly illustrates the importance of road
betterment not only to the farmer, but also to the rest of the country,
who are users and consumers of farm products. The greatest saving
to accrue in the future to farmers from reduced transportation will
come not so much from reduced railroad transportation as from reduced
cost of transportation over the public roads, resulting from
their improvement.
Who Uses Roads.
The travel over our roads now is national, State, and local. The
travel being national, State, and local, the cost of constructing and
maintaining roads should be national, State, and local. It is not just
to expect local communities to construct and maintain roads over
which the travel of State and Nation far exceeds the local. It is utterly
impossible for local communities to bear the expense of constructing
macadam or hard-surface roads. To do so would require
such a heavy tax as to practically bankrupt the communities. A system
The only way that this can be accomplished is by the appropriation
of money out of the State and National Treasuries.
The cities are as much interested and are as much benefited by
good country roads as are the people in the rural sections. Good
roads enable the people of the country to easily come to market not
only with their produce, but also to make purchases. The trade and
commerce of cities are greatly enhanced by being surrounded by
splendid roads. In addition, it adds to the comfort and pleasure of
those living in the cities. Thus, good roads enhance the value of
property alike in city and country. Many of the cities, when permitted
to do so by their charters, have united with country communities
in appropriating money for the construction and maintenance
of public roads. The charters of many of the cities prohibit them
from making such appropriations. The best and the fairest way to
enable the cities to aid rural sections in the construction and maintenance
of good roads is by appropriating a fair share of money for
this purpose out of the State and National Treasuries. By this means
the cities and rich communities are enabled to share with the country
sections their fair burden of road construction and improvement.
Since both city and country receive benefits from good roads,
each should share its part of the burden. I believe this is willingly
conceded alike by the citizens of the city and country.
Mr. President, in addition to the reasons previously presented
as to why the National Government should extend its aid for the
improvement of public highways of our country there are other considerations
of justice and fair dealing which demand this. The United
States Government now uses more than 1,000,000 miles of the public
roads of this country in carrying its mails over them, either through
its star-route contractors or its rural-delivery carriers. It uses daily
this vast mileage of roads without giving to the States or communities
a cent of compensation. Last year this Government paid to the
railroads of this Nation $50,142,200 for using their tracks to carry its
mails over their roads.
The counties and States contribute their money for the construction
and maintenance of these country roads as much as do the
stockholders of the railroads for the construction and maintenance
of their railway tracks. If it is just and fair that the Government
should pay this vast sum of money for utilizing the tracks of the
railroads, it is equally as just and fair that the Government should
contribute a fair compensation to the States and communities for
using their roads for the conveyance of the Government's mails. An
argument for the one is equally as conclusive as for the other.
Hence, I insist that as the carrying of mail is a Government function,
and entirely monopolized by the Government, that the Government
should make just and fair compensation to the States and communities
for the use of their roads. The time has come when the
States and local communities should insist upon this.
Good Roads Is a Saving to the Government.
Another consideration which strongly presents itself to my mind
as to why the Government should extend national aid to road improvement
is that it would result in the saving of a great deal of
money to the Government. The Government now expends $42,000,000
annually for rural delivery. The average route of a rural-delivery
carrier is about 24 miles. The carrier is unable to make a greater
distance than this on account of the bad condition of the public roads.
If these roads were properly improved, a carrier could easily and
if the roads of the country were properly improved that in the
reduced expenses incurred in its star-route service, in its present Rural
Delivery Service, and in the extensions which will certainly come in
the future, the Government would save $8,000,000 or $9,000,000 annually.
Patriotism and wisdom alike demand that the Government
should make this great saving and at the same time add materially
in the advancement and prosperity of our country by generously aiding
road improvement.
Mr. President, I am unable to see any strong reasons why the
Federal Government should further hesitate in the extension of a
proper and liberal appropriation for the construction and improvement
of public highways. To contend that it has no constitutional power
to do so is absurd. No one has ever disputed that the Government
has not power to establish, maintain, and repair post roads. It has
established through its star-route and Rural Delivery Service more
than 1,000,000 miles of post roads, which it daily uses; hence it not
only has the power under the Constitution, but aso has imposed
upon it the imperative duty to bear its fair share of the burden of
improving these roads and keeping them in proper repair.
Webster, Clay, Jefferson, and even Calhoun, who was very strict
in his construction of the Constitution, all advocated national aid for
the construction of public highways.
Prior to the Civil War the Federal Government had appropriated
$14,000,000 to aid in the construction of public highways.
The 1,000,000 miles of public roads now made post roads by the
uses of the Federal Government are the main roads traveled and the
ones most needing betterment; hence no objection on constitutional
grounds can be found for the Government undertaking to bear its
fair share of the burden of improving the roads that it daily uses.
Besides, this Government has spent large sums of money in the
betterment of the public roads of Porto Rico and the Philippine Islands,
and also Alaska. If it has the authority to expend the public
money there for these purposes, it has equal authority to expend the
public money for these purposes in this country.
I believe that the American people have greater demands upon the
Public Treasury, filled with their contributions, than have the people
of Porto Rico, the Phillippine Islands, and Alaska.
| University of Virginia record October 1, 1915 | |