A National Plan

Gen. Roy Stone, who during the war comroanded the fanious Pennsylvania brigade known as the Buck Tail rifles, has, notwithstanding his absorbing occupations, given much thought to the subject of the improvement of country roads. Being recently consnlted in reference to ths preparation of a measnre to be introduced in a state legislature, he has formulated a inuch broader scheme, the scope of which is national. The other evening I met him at the Union League club, and took advantage of the opportnnity to get his views and snggestions npon this important snbject more in detail. He said, rather in explan.'tl ion of the largeness of his scheme: "No good roads have ever been built by local effort, except in the richest communities. In England, so long as the local system prevailed, the roads were so bad that Macaulay was moved to say, 'The fruits of the earth were soinetimes suffered to rot in one place, while a few miles distant the supply feil f ar short of the demand.' And he said further: 'One cbief cause of the badness of the roads was the defective state f the law. Every parish was bound to repair the roads which passed through it,' and thus a sparse and impoverished rural population was compelled to maintain highways between rich and populous towns." "In this respect," continued Gen. Stone, "we are just where England was 200 years ago. England met the difficulty by the establishment of turnpikes with tolls, and 30,000 miles of these roads had been built in Macaulay's day. The turnpike system does not seem, however, to meet the approval of our people, and something else must be devissd. Such being the case, I have suggested a national plan, which, though i new in the form I suggest it, is not really a new question in our national politics. It was a most vexed question in the days of our grandfathers, and its constitutionality was defended upon the ground that congress had a right to provide for the common defense and also to establish post roads. In France, where are found perhaps the best roads in the world, the minister of public works has charge of all roads. These roads are national or vicinal. Of the first there are 25,000 miles, and these are entirely maintained from the national treasury. The vicinal or cross roads are maintained chiefly by the various communes." "What do you think of Governor Hill's suggestions to the New York legislature?" I asked. "They are admirable, and so far as New York state is concerned the)rf if embodied in laws, might answer purpose very well. But for New York, in a measure, and for most other sta tes to a i greater extent his plan would be a much j more costly one to the taxpayers than i my broader method. The national government has had for some time and is . likely to have under our laws a large ! surplus. This surplus could be lent to i the states at a very much lower rate of interest than any of these states could borrow money from the public. My plan as at first outlined was this: "1. National financing, to secure the lowest rate of interest, unilorui in all the states, and iongest term oí repayment. "2. State control of disbuxsement under some form of uational supervisión; a permanent organization of tiained experts, etc. "3. Local option for each local application of the scheme. "4. Equitable distribution of the interest charge between the nation, state and district, and a local adjustment in the latter according to beneiits directly conferred. "This plan amplified," said Gen Stone, "would be t this effect: "1. Declare all mail routes post roads. "Ü. Establish a bureau of post roads in the department of the interior. "3. Whenever any state shall hare adopted the necessary legislation, and provided tho maohinery for availing itself of national aid, let it apply to the bureau of post roads for a joint survcy of any post road within its limit which it desi res iinproved, and a plan for the improvemeut of the same, the state providing for any reloeation of the road that may be advan tageous. "i. The state to cxecute such under supervisión of the United States bureau. "5. The United States to pay the cost of improvement. "6. The state to pay 2 per cent. per annum on euch eost and two-thirds of the amount at a finalty. "7. The United States bureau to prepare plans for a national school of roads and bridges. "8. Local labor, if available, to be givcn the pref erence in all such ünprovements. "9. The United States to have the option of making all paymaits for such improvementa in süver coin. "Or if this plan be looked upon at present as impracticable or too great' au innovation," said he, "let there be a national cornmission appointed to look into the subject and report its conclusions from time to time." "What are post roads?" I asked. "All public roads are 'post routes,' and all roads leading to county towns are 'post roads.' AÏl 'post routes' (by wagon road) could be made 'post roads,' and thus any road in the country could be made a national road. If , however, only the actual inail routes, by wagon, were declared post roads there would be 200,000 miles subject to improvement under the provisión of the constitution to establish post roads." "What amonnt could be profitably expended in this manner?" "There is hardly any limit to this. But a mile of good macadjun can be built for $7,500. If we should have 100,000 miles of such roads the cost would be $750,000,000. If this should be done in fifteen years it would only cost $50,000,000 per year." "And how would you raise this money?' "If the surplus in the treasury were not adequate why could not the $300,000,000 of silver be earning interest in some such way. But this is a question for the financiers, not for the engineers. 1 am convinced, however, if the silver plau were feasible the road building would absorb large quantities of silvei coin and fetain it, and the money would be applied as finaucial relief whero it is most needed- thatis, among the farmers. It would go right to the spot of want and dissatisfaction and work its way up. Now, any and all relief goea to the money centers, and must work its way down with great difficulty and cost to those who nefd it most."