NINTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART XII 747 
abutting owners is finding general acceptance as a matter of state 
policy, and in many states large amounts are being annually appro- 
priated for the public roads. But there is a limit to the ability of the 
states to furnish the funds required, and it is for this reason that the 
farmers feel justified in urging that appropriations be made out of the 
revenues derived by taxing the people of the whole country for what is 
so clearly a matter of national importance. 
"The farmers have for a long time believed that the highways of the 
country are of greater importance than its waterways, and that every 
argument in favor of appropriations by congress for the improvement 
of our rivers applies even more strongly to the improvement of the 
public roads. They also believe that they are not now receiving a 
fair share of the money taken from them as federal taxes, and that if 
congress wishes to dispose wisely of the present large surplus in the 
treasury it can not do better than to devote at least $50,000,000 to 
the work of road improvement. 
"The benefits which would follow the enactment of the legislation 
advocated by the National Grange are by no means to be measured 
by the mileage of improved roads that could be constructed with the 
appropriations made by congress. The most effective argument for 
good roads is the object lesson of the improved road, as contrasted with 
the ordinary dirt road, and each new section of properly constructed 
road is an inducement for the municipal, county, and state road author- 
ities to unite in placing the largest possible mileage of the highways 
w^ithin their jurisdiction in a similar condition. 
"Another great advantage resulting from federal appropriations ex- 
pended under the general supervision of the proposed national high- 
ways commission would be the substitution for our present haphazard 
methods of road construction of a scientific system of road making. 
It is estimated that out of our annual expenditure for road construction 
and maintenance of about $80,000,000 at least one-half is w^asted through 
unwise methods or the use of wrong materials. This waste would be to 
a large extent, if not entirely, avoided through bringing to bear on the 
subject the knowledge and experience of trained engineers, whose advice 
and services would be at the disposal of the various local road authorities. 
I may mention in this connection the example of France, which is admitted 
to have the best road system of the world. It is the opinion of experts 
who have given the subject careful consideration that the superiority of 
the French roads is chiefly due to the fact that the National Government 
of France not only contributes very largely to the construction and re- 
pair of the highways, but also maintains a staff of highly trained road 
experts, whose co-operation with the local road authorities has given the 
whole country an effective body of competent highway administrators. 
"The subject is of such magnitude and extends in so many directions 
that I have only been able to outline some of its phases. I am con- 
fident that when the attitude of the farmers is understood and the 
vital importance of the question realized that public sentiment will be 
practically unanimous in favor of this proposition, and that congress 
will at an early date enact this most desirable legislation. 
