Mexico weekly ledger., 1891-12-03
BETTER ROADS.
Road Improvement Organization Fri
day Night.--Splendid Talk From
J. l.. Erwin, Of Fulton.

Road Improvement Organization Fri
day Night-.-Splendid Talk From
J. l.. Erwin, Of Fulton.
J. L. Er 6in, of Galloway county,
| addressed an audience of some OF
Mexico's leading business men on
last Friday night, Lis subject being
"Better Roads, The audience
was not as large as it should have
been, but many of our most earn.
est citizens were present.
J. A. Potts, president of the
State Board of Agriculture, presld-
ed and in few appropriate and
timely remarks introduced Mr..
Erwin, of Fulton, Mo. Erwin is
one of Missouri's most enthusiastic
farmers and dairymen. He thinks
the subject of rosdsf the most i'm
portant now before the public. Mr..
Erwin says that if farmers would
stay at home and work the roads
and attend to their own affairs
there would be no- NECESSITY of all
this calamity howliug. The speak
er said that we would never have
good roads until we built them
ourselves and that the work must
be done by united efforts. Farm
ers and business men should meet
In the various counties and town
ships throughout the State and Or
ganize permanent road improve
ment organizations. He says that
every year from $4,000 to $40, 600 is
spent on roads in Audrain county,
and that the returns are not what
they should be, and that this
money should be used in rock
roads, which will be permanent
improvement. He thought that
this fall was the est time to form
these organizations as it is an off
year in politics. He says that the
government, State and National,
spent millions of dollars on rail-
roads, but nothing on dirt roads,
when ninety-nine hundredths of
all travel was over dirt roads, and
that these permanent road organ
lzations would have good influence
on the various legislatures. Speak
ing of the advantages derived from
good roads he mentioned one par
tlcular. That is, that our young
men would stay at home on the
farm if they had better roads 80
that there would be more society
in the country-farmers, farms and
families would be brought closer
together as it were. He thought
there would be no trouble in build
ing rock rosds. Rock crushers are
very cheap and the price of rock
very reasonable. He said that the
law in this State was all righ: and
that good rock roads could be built
by making special road districts
and assessing the land so much an
acre on both sides af the road. He
said that Galloway county was ar.
ranging now for special road dis
trict and would build a road q,
once to the Audrain line. He
thought our people should form 9
road district south and make this
improvem ent. He did not believe
In building roads by private sub
scription, but that the burder
should be borne by all who are
benefited. Agitation is what WI
are needing now in order to wake
up the people to the necessity o
good roads. He said Increase il
the value of property would NOR,
than pay the cost of roads tha
Fulton has a rock road north ank
property in that direction wa
Ia great deal more valuable
than in any other direction ant
that this would be found the cas-
always. He thought that road i'm
provment organizations are goin,
to be formed all over the State an,
that Mexico ought to be headquar
ters of these organizations. 81
) said that he hoped sometime Ii
January to have a grand conven
tion in Mexico with delegates from
every county in the State and tha
Mexico should move OF and tax
the lead in this matter. 0fganiza
tions have already been formed il
Adair, Usage, Franklin, Lacled
and Phelps counties. On motiol
of R. NJ. White, q permanent o,
: ganization was adopted. Speeehe
favoring this question were mad
! by ]. A. Potts, A. g. Turner, w
8. Hathaway, VIM. Lsewellyn an,
IA. r. Reid. The following officer