The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-04-20
Good Roads.

Some one has suggested that the civiliza
ton of country might be judged from thu
condition in which it keeps its roads. l
this is true, the pride which an American
feels in his nation will experience a grea
fall for the United States in this respect Il
below every other highly civilized countr,
on the globe and is nearly on level will
Japan. When we find that it costs more t.
carry the average bushel of grain to tn,
railway station than from thence to tn,
ocean, and that locomotive draws ton a
less expense than the farmer hauls a bushel
we begin to see the necessity for bette
roads. In some parts of America, wheat il
almost worthless, owing to the poor facili
ties for transportation to market. Look a
the highways of the most important Euro
pean countries, where, for the greater part
they are made after the plan of McAdan
or Teford. There we may see the advan
tage which the foreign farmer has over the
American. In England one pound of mus
Gle will draw twice as much as in the United
States, while it is customary for the French
to consider three tons load for one horse il
the rural districts and from three to five
tons in the cities, and their horses are worked
no harder than ours.
Our system of road-making is very de
fective. One Of the greatest evils is having
the highways under the supervision of one
man or board of men appointed or elected
every year. They are not in Office LONG
enough to become acquainted with their
work, and the greater part know nothing OF
the proper way in which a road should be
made. Working out highway taxes causes
another great loss, as the roads are usually
left to care for themselves till after mud
time in the spring, and, just as they are be.
ginning to harden, on come the men attempt.
ing to repair them, but in reality making
them worse for time than they would
have been if left alone. We make a mis-.
take, also, in our wagons, with their mar.
row tires. A tire one or two inches in
breadth serves as knife in cutting up the
surface. 1t has been clearly proved that
four and one. half inch tires cause only one
half as much wear as those two and one
half inches wide. One wheel following in
the track of the other increases the forma.
ton of ruts, and this should be remedied by
the hind wheels running little outside of
the others, which would cause the ruts to
be practically filed.
The farmers of the United States COM
plain OF "hard times" and well they NAV
for some reasons; but for others they ought
to feel thankful. The American farmer is
the least taxed of any farmer in the world
and has the grandest opportunities. His
country is nearer out of debt than any of
the principal nations of Europe; but while
those countries aid their farmers, our gov
eminent until recently has left him to him
self. Secretary Rusk, however, is endeavor.
ing to bring about a change for the better,
and he is a strong believer in improved
roads. The department of state likewise is
taking strong interest in the matter, and
recently instructed our consuls and minis
ters to obtain information concerning the
manner of building and repairing the high
ways in their respective countries. Several
of the states are beginning to be awakened
to the importance of this subject, as may be
held governors are calling the attention of
sages, and in New Jersey, where a few
roads have been improved the people are
clamoring for continued improvements
There is no doubt that there is,,need of all this
for while farming in other countries seems
to prosper in about the same degree as
other occupations, in the United States il is
one of the least remunerative industries
Our government receives every minute dur
ing the whole twenty-four hours SIS more
than its expenses, or 1913, 800, 800 a year
What better use can be made of this than
in aiding the farmer, and how can he be
he ned more than by imDrOVinp his rOadso