Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1872-02-15
The Road Laws.

Our correspondent from Waltham
occupies space in to.day's paper in
the discussion Of our system of roads.
The plan he proposes for building
aud keeping il. repalr county roads
seems 10 us an Improvement upon
the plan now in practice. Neyerthe-
aoss, his plan is rot the best, in our
Judgment, taking into consi Iteration
the interests OF the owners Of the
land, and the other users OF the road.
W. arc a travelling people. A
man who does not occasionally 90
outside his own township is a rara
.ap,s-a rare bird. Certainly every
countryman leaves his farm tor the
town ,very month, if not as often as
every week. And this habit of the
people to travel from place to place,
is growing. 1t is Sne of the great
Of agents civilization at work among
rs. Every one who knows anything
ALLOWS thai tpe more a person travels
aud sees and m.ngles with other pee
p.e,the broader and more liberia, are
his views,-his bigotry and narrow
aess Of comprehension give.awayin his
association with his fellows,-his &C.
qualntance with men aud society is
.xtended,-his comprehension OF his
position, his possibilities and his du.
ties j. quickenened,-anl in all that
90 to make up the capable citizen, the
intelligent voter, he is improved
Every II can notice this and under.
stand it. The government is inter-
ested in promo,ipgto its fullest ex-
tent this quickening comprehension
OF dates, this intelligent estimate OF
self and ncighbors, this civilizing
growth on the part OF our rural pop
ulstion. Easy transit from the farm
10 the town, this Is essential to the
prosperity OF the farmer. Roads that
require the least outlay of annual la.
Dor and money best promote the III
terests Of the farming community. J
the farmer Is obliged to traverse two
sides OF a section, pulling his load o
corn or wheat, where he might say.
n goodly share of the distance by 90
sng across, there SO much added t,
his road tax. If he las to folloa
the section lines over ridges and int.
.sloughs, and car take but two third
OF a load, when he conld have a roas
an which he might haul a full loa,
by leaving the section lines, the
there is one-balf OF the time and labo
spsn. in gong 10 bis market, alde'
to his road tax.
In this view OF the subject, the bcs
interest OF all the people requires Tia
the roads the farmer travels to mar
ket shall be the shortest the case vii
admit of,and be on the best'p, actic'bl
2 ate. The plan adopted by r~ailroa,
companies is the true one. Go on tn,
shortest line and OH a line requirin.
the least outlay OF work. Besides
1t is the Eost economical. Il gould b,
cheaper to pay the full value for tn,
land On (which the road ought to be
located than to DO forever working
the roads through s!oughs and oycl
'mlls'-hlling up one and scrapipe
down the other.
II is a mistaken idea that a straipl,
road. looks better thar a crook.
ed one. Curved lines are the lines
of beauty, as all artists know, and q
landscape with roads following a
straight line is m%onotonous and
"earisome. Nor @re there any rights
. the landowner Violated by thus
opening roads in diagonal or othc,
directions through their farms. i
1he people have rights to roads at all
they have the right to have them 10.
Gated in the most convenient places
II tho roads were fer the BEN fit Q
ihr few, then the convtmenc OF tn,
,atl Og'ner should BE- considered, In