 | University of Virginia record October 1, 1915 |  |
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.
| University of Virginia record October 1, 1915 | |