No. 4.] BETTER ROADS. 249 



the needn of the whole country and the best methods of in- 

 augurating a scheme of national road improvement. The 

 intention of the movement is to insure practical results in a 

 matter that has long passed the talking stage. The Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture will place at the disposal of the agents, 

 in co-operation with them, the facilities of the experiuient 

 stations to be found in the various States, and every encour- 

 agement will be given for the formation of classes by road 

 experts. In a word, the department is prepared to give the 

 whole matter the broadest and most careful attention, with 

 a view to the extension to the people of the various States 

 of every possible assistance to better the conditions of the 

 highways and lessen the troubles of those who use the' public 

 roads extensively. 



More than half of the States have passed new and progres- 

 sive road laws, and many hundred miles of good roads have 

 already been built. New Jersey was the first State to take 

 any radical step towards the improvement of her public high- 

 ways. Her State aid law was passed in 1891. It provided 

 that, on petition of the owners of two-thirds of the land 

 bordering any public road not less than a mile in length, 

 asking that the road be improved, and agreeing to pay ten 

 per cent of the cost, the county officials shall improve the 

 road, one-third of the expense to l)e borne by the State if 

 the road is brought to the standard fixed by the State com- 

 missioners of public roads, and the balance, 66| per cent, by 

 the county. 



This system seems to be popular with all classes, and is being 

 carefully considered by the Legislatures of other States. Its 

 principles have been adopted l)y JNIassachusetts, Rhode Island, 

 New York, Connecticut and California. These laws, of w^hii-h 

 State aid is the principal feature, are regarded by the active 

 advocates of road reform as aflbrding a satisfactory solution 

 of the problem. 



Massachusetts, like New Jersey, has adopted a system of 

 road improvement which it is believed will result in a few 

 years in securing to her State highways that will be sec- 

 ond in excellence to none in the United States, and equal to 

 some of the best in the old world. ]\Iassachusetts has an 

 abundance of the best material in the world for road building, 



