The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-02-19
GOOD ROADS IN THE SOUTH.
An Effort Which Might Well be Ini-
tated In the North and West.


An Effort Which Might Well be Imi-
tated In the North and West.
That the agitation for good roads
in the south is in the hands of men
VINO mean business is shown by the
recent roads congress at Atlanta.
Such earnest efforts to bring about
the reform which will do more to
better the condition of the Ameri-
can farmer than any other one
thing. might well be initiated IN
every state in the Union. Colonel
W. W. WILDLY. in explaining the
objects of the road congress to an
Atlanta Constitution reporter, said:
1.-The object of the road congress
is not so much to discuss the pres
ent road laws in force in Georgia
as the necessity for two things
First, q permanent system; second,
permanent improving of the public
roads.
"There is wide difference be-
tween working public road and
building one. AS at present en-.
forced in Georgia, the road laws
'msy do passably we'll in working
'the roads, but there is no perma-
nency in the work, nor no system
init. The road commissioners have
uexer studied the Question thor
oughlY, and even if they had the
law does not give them the funds
necessary to put permanent work
on the roads.
"What is desired is permanently
improved roads according to well
defined and everlasting system, so
that the work done one year will
last for years to come. 1t must be
in line with that done in other parts
of the country.
"a small force worked under the
direction of man acquainted with
the requirements Of good road
aud with improved labor saving i'm
plements and material at hand. sys
tematically and continuously, can
secure to the people first class roads
cheaper than they could be had I'M
der the road laws of Georgia. This
is true when the permanency Of the
work is considered.
rThe subject is one of vital i'm
poftance to all classes. It's patent
that our system of agriculture must
be- changed before it can prosper.
Large farms and the tenant system
must 60. Small farms cultivated
on the intensive system by. the
owners must be the order Of the
day. But to reach this result these
small farmers must have good reads
to the markets. The hauling of
large quantities Of produce in less
time than can now be done is an
element of Importance in building
up the small farmer.
elm this day of rapid transit,
! transportation by the common road
msst not be held back to the pace
Pcf the past ages. The country
needs the Inspiring effect Of faster
and better transit"
In regard to the matter, The
Constitution said editorially:
The work which these delegates
have undertaken to do is not mat
ter for holiday. They can hope
now only to call attention to the
necessity which exists for better
roads, and, by means of thoughtful
and intelligent discussion, create a
public sentiment powerful enough
to insist en- these vital improve
ments in our road system. This
ought to be very easy matter, but
it is not. Our people have made
progress IN every other direction
except this. So far as our roads
are. concerned, we arc no farther
advanced than the barbarians we're:
and this statement will apply not
to Georgia and the south alone, but
to the whole country. The roads
in New York and Pennsylvania are
no better than they arc here-a fact
which shows that we are all barbar-
ians together. The miserable con-
dition OF our public highways is a
national habit, and the outcome Of
it is shameful piece of extrava-
gance.
Nevertheless, the reform of our
present system must proceed slowly
at first. No experiment is more
painful and depressing than that
which undertakes to break up bad
habit, and the condition of our
roads today represents more than o
hundred years Of sloth, negligence,
ignorance and willful extravagance.
One excuse for this is the fact that
our communities have invested the
most of their surplus funds and
energies in the promotion of rail-
road enterprises. The result of
this is that the development of our
efnorr characterization l;one meas ~,