42 ANNUAL, REPOIIT OP THE Off. Doc. 



per cent, lived in the counti'v. Now, however, over fifty-six per cent. 

 ot our people live in (he towns and cities and only forty-four per 

 cent, in the country. This fifty-six per cent, are as much affected 

 by the system of public roads in the country, in their capacity as 

 distributing and collecting agencies for commerce, as are the country 

 people who are located immediately along them. The cost of sub- 

 sistence in the cities and towns is alfected directly by the cost of 

 transportation, and the cost of transfjortation is regulated, by the 

 conditions tliat exist on the lines over which the goods must be car- 

 ried. The cities depend wholly for supplies upon the transportation 

 lines, not simph- upon the great railroads and river boats, but upon 

 the farm wagon and the country road. If these last are blocked, 

 internal commerce in agricultural products soon must cease, and if 

 thev are so affected that onlv one-half of the normal tonnage can be 

 transported, the cities feel the effect, and prices are correspondingly 

 increased. Good roads, all through the country, ensure a constant 

 and even supply of produce to the cities and towns during the entire 

 year. 



STEAM TRANSPORTATION COMPANIES BENEFITTED. 



The railway and steamboat lines are also deeply interested in the 

 improvement of the country roads, for reasons equally forcible and 

 direct. They depend almost entirely ui>on produce collected at their 

 stations, for their tonnage. If country roads are solid and in good 

 repair, this supply is not affected bA' the climatic conditions which 

 now seriously interrupt it. If good roads exist, communities, as 

 has been stated, will increase in population, and as a consequence 

 travel and production will likewise increase, and the surplus pro- 

 duce will go over the transportation lines to market. Since it is 

 this local traffic that pays tlie best, its increase means the enrich- 

 ment of these companies, directly due to the iutitsduction of better 

 public roads. All of the business interests of the State whether in 

 city, town or country are interested, according to their investment, in 

 seeing that better transportation facilities are provided for th''- 

 country districts, to which they distribute their goods, and from 

 which they draw their supplies. 



The following States liave recognized the duty of their government 

 to appropriate money in aid of the improvement of their jmblic 

 roads: New York, New^ Jerse^y, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine 

 and Vermont. Highway commissions are established in North 

 Carolina, Michigan and Rhode Island. Constitutional amendments 

 have been prepared providing for State aid in ^Minnesota, Wisconsin 

 and California. 



, Pennsylvania is sadly behind these States in this respect. Her 

 system of road supervision is unworthy of the Twentieth century. 



