Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-12-15
COCO HoADs PAY.
No More Profitable Investment Can y.
Made By Any Con;man!ty.

81
TIE n .iional League Tor Good 10 +.
is enc OF the most benefcent organi,s
tioils in tile c0rntry. Tire lnoyetnentr,
which il has taken charge was -,
largely promoted, il it was not begu,
bv the efforts Of the wheelmen. ~
have done . great deal Of public eo,5
in other ways. and especially by seeu,.
ing more accurate mapping and
better system of guideposts III MAJ
parts OF the country than prevailed am.
there before their labors began TO h.,
fruit.
II may be said that everybody wlo
has paid any attention to the subject i.
now convinced that good roads pay. and
that there is no more profitable invest.
ment for an agricultural community
than the first cost and the maintenance
of highways that are considerably more
expensive and immeasurably more re-
muneratiye than any that now exist. e.
cept in the outskirts of great towns. and
that are very seldom to be found even
there. But it would be great mistake
to assume that improvement is certain
because the advantage of it is demon
strated
1t is within bounds to say that the
great majority of the farmers of the
United States never saw good road
and do not know what it is A road
that is a mcrass in spring, Sahara in
summer, a series of ruts and ridges
frozen stiff ia late autumn and slough
whenever there is thaw in the winter
is 10 them the normal means of rural
communication. If they had known and
used good roads they would not tolerate
the existing roads for month, but be-
cause they do not they win 90 on acqui.
escing in the existing country roads with
an apathy that is born Of ignorance.
The only way to break in upon the
apathy is 70 dispel the ignorance, and
that can be done only by bringing good
roads within the reach of the people Of ,
the rural districts. or at least within |
their knowledge, and enabling them toi
fnd out for themselves the differennei
between them and the roads Of which I
they have grown to regard the defects
as incurable This must be done. under
our system. by the states and requires |
state legislation If there were, say. !
ten miles Of model roadway in everyi
county in the state of New York, it isl
quite certain that within a very few
years this mileage would be multiplied |
by ten by the efforts Of the inhabitautsl
themselves. who would have come tot
learn what an enormous saving 10 them
in money and time, as well as what a
great advantage in comfort the new
roads would bring TO them.
The efforts of the national and state
leagues ought to be devoted TO bringing
about such legislation in every state In
one state the matter has already become
a political issue, for the candidates for
the legislature in Illinois have been Off
cially Intercepted as to their position
on the subject. 1t is not likely that many
of these candidates had ever given any
thought TO the matter. but being thus
TO take stand concerning it,
nearly all Of them have returned salts
factory answers. This ought TO mean
that if a well matured bill We're present
ed to the legislature of Illinois provid-
ing for the construction of model roads,
it would be enacted and put into execu-
ton. When that is accomplished the
battle will have been won.
1t is in the eastern states that the need
Of good roads is perhaps most urgent
The abandonment of New England
farms, attributed TO western competi-
ton, would scarcely have been possible
If the farms had been connected by de-
cent roads with the market towns or the
railroads. one Of which ought to be with
in easy driving distance of every farm
IN New Eng md, and would be so if the
roads were what they should be. The
more eastern agriculture changes from
he raising of staple crops to truck
farming" the more indispensable to it
are easy, well built, well drained roads
hat are practicable at all seasons of the
gear.-New York Times.