Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site oliven.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!zehntel!dual!amdcad!decwrl!sun!qubix!ios!oliveb!oliven!danw From: danw@oliven.UUCP (danw) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: roads Message-ID: <735@oliven.UUCP> Date: Fri, 30-Nov-84 19:11:01 EST Article-I.D.: oliven.735 Posted: Fri Nov 30 19:11:01 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 4-Dec-84 05:08:36 EST Organization: National Cobalt Testing Range Lines: 30 [] >There always seems to be a lot of talk about public and >private roads when the topic turns to Libertarians. I >hope you all remember that this country once had quite a >system of private roads. The major reason for the building of >public roads was that the cost of using private roads had >become too prohibitive. Farmers were forced to pay fees to >use the roads and it became a big problem just to travel >a short distance. Is this what the Libertarians want to >go back to? >T. C. Wheeler Is there anyone out there who can find historical references to substantiate this ? There are plenty of historical accounts of governments making ,trade ,travel and commerce impossible, as a result of their rapacious nature. I have yet to hear of a monopoly that existed ,permanently ,in a free and unregulated market. The unescapable law remains: excessive profits breed rueness competition. What seems more likely ,is that the government used Wheeler's idea ,as an excuse ,to do what they wanted to do all along - nationalize the roads. danw