The Portland daily press., 1892-06-09
WILL GOOD ROADS PAY,
They Are as Important to the City rs to
the Farmers.

They Are as Important to the City rs to
the Farmers.
There seems to be vague idea on the
part of some of those who are disposed
to discuss the road question that only
the farmers are interested in securing
good country roads. This is delusion
which robs the question of more than
half its Importance. The interest of
farmers is that of individuals, whereas
the members of the communities that
form the villages and towns have, in adj
aition to their individual interest, the
larger interest which grows out of the
communal relations. Good roads will
greatly benefit the farmer; there can be
no doubt of that; but in much greater
degree they will benefit the villages and
towns which set up to be market centers.
1t is necessary to bear this clearly in
mind, for it raises the road question be-
You'd and above the interests of the in
dividual and invests it with the dignity
and importance which properly belong
to it. That which places the farmer
nearer the market necessarily places the
market nearer the producer, and this
fact is of much more Importance to the
community than it is to the individual
farmer.
To say that our present system is bar
barous and inadequate, in that it merely
provides right of way for the great
traffic of the state through mudholes
and quagmires, is merely an informal de-
scription which will be cordially in
dorsed by all who are compelled to use
our roads; but it means nothing. The
system is a habit which we inherited
from our Colonial ancestors It is bad;
indeed it could not be worse; but we are
accustomed to it, and any change must
be the result of arguments and convic-
tons which have business basis-which
have their origin in belief that sub
stantial results will follow.
We may observe the alacrity with
which both farmers and citizens of COM
munities subscribe to railroad enter
prises in which they can have only a re-
mote interest, comparatively speaking.
| In some instances counties have issued
bonds in order that they may raise
money to aid railroads which cannot by
any possibility prove to be equally adj
vantageous to all the citizens The peo-
pie are willing to tax themselves because
they know that substantial results will
follow the advent of railroad. They
draw no dividends, but they know that
the railroad will prove to be advantage
Gus, because it brings them nearer to
the great markets, gives them an outlet
for their produce, increases the value of
the land in town and country, and car
ries along with it the spirit and impulse
Of industrial energy and development.
Yetif one will take the map of Georgia
and make an investigation, it will be
discovered that the railroads of the state
bear no reasonable relation to the public
roads in length, number and Importance;
and there are hundreds of miles of pub
lie roads that find no place on the map.
In other words, notwithstanding the ex-
istence of so many railroads an over
whelming majority of the people of
Georgia are compelled to depend on the
public roads for marketing their prod
uce, for receiving their supplies and for
|
accommodation. If this is the case in
Georgia, state which leads all other
southern states in the matter of railroad
development, what must be the situa-
ton elsewhere?
1t must follow, therefore, that the
building of good country roads is mat
ter of more Importance than the build
ing OF more railroads. In fact, the rail-
roads themselves have made better
country roads an absolute necessity, for
the two systems depend on each other.
The complete development of one in
wolves the completer development of the
other. 1t is to be presumed that tho
public understands this in vague and
indefinable way. The question, there
fore, for the public to consider is not the
necessity, but the proftableness, of good
country roads. Will it pay to begin and
carry on to completion the work of per-
manent improvement? This was the
question asked when the people were
asked to contribute to the local railway
enterprise, and it is eminently fair one
With respect to good country roads
this inquiry may be partly answered by
an appeal to the common sense of those
who are interested. Will it pay the
farmer to be able to do the work of two
and three horses with one? Will it pay
him to be able in one day with two
horses to do the work that formerly re-
quired four horses and two days to do?
Atlanta Constitution.
How to Make Gravel Roads.