The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1892-02-19
FARMERS NEED GOOD aoApa


They Are shs Glass Most Interested %
the Highway Reform Msvensenl
The Eafl 40 Express. after commend
ing the good WORT done BY the bicyclists
n starting the road reform agitation
s4s~.
Sat this matter Of good rods should
not h. left to bicycle riders. who u
s~nise IRE somewhat interested. II
shosli be farmers movement, for
they are the class most interested II
fhoy produce crops. those crops must be
rent 70 market from the farms. Manu-
facsurers. merchants and mechanics
can and do congregate about the rail
road stations or points Of water trans
portation. and I'd them the matter OF
roads i a secondary consideration
Caly yer. small proportion OF farm
ers are or can be located close 70 ship
ping points. and nearly all have to haul
their crops 10 greater or less distances
In order 70 reach their markets. The
cost Of hauling is great rs rule, and
principally 81 because at the seasons OF
the year W en- marketable crops are
ready for sale the roads are seldom in
good condition A French or English
farmer viii haul load Of two tons or
more with single span Of horses six 70
twelve miles 10 the nearest market town
and think nothing Of It.
A western New York farmer thinks
his team u q remarkably good one il he
can haul thirty bushels Of potatoes 1t
one load TO market four miles away
ana Get back in half day. A year ago
last fail he did well If he hauled twent,
bushels at ,ad, or less than one-third
the load which French or English
farmer would take. Bicycles cannot be
ridden over roads when the mud Is deep,
but tneI are fifty farmers interested in
the roads Of the state to one bicycle
rider.
The great difficulty in dealing with
this question y how 70 make better roads
nj reasonable cost to all interested
Cnder orr present tax Laws the farmers
now pay altogether too great . proper
ton q the taxes. An additional tax
large enough to amount to anything in
making better roads would fall most
heavily upon land owners. and although
the benefit would he greatest to them
the extra burden would Be beyond pres-
ent resources Farmers naturally OBJ
ject under the circumstances to any
thing Of which the entire cost or nearly
40 VIII fall on their shoulders They
feel that tile merchants, tradesmen and
forwarders are as much benefited b
good roads as the farmers themselves,
because the handling. moving and mar
ketirg Of the farmers crops furniahes
them the means Of Subsistence.
But II the roads are to be improved By
the state. "a Governor Hill suggested. or
b. the national government. as is planned
by the weste lers. who are circulating
petitions for law appropriating $780,
O00. 900 to he divided among the states pro
rssa with the road mileage in the states,
nearly al the money must come ont q
the farmers pockets. and hence they %
Ject to government roadA
The question f good roads Il not alDnl
. matter Of good grades. or proper Gov
ering or surface material. or good
foundation These details are essentiAl,
but 50 j. skilled supervision. The path
master provision Of our present law 4
prime cansA Of poor roads, and until
skilled supervision is provided for, there
Il no use in making agood piece Of road.
Tho new rathmaster the next year would
tear it up 70 make it over according e
his notion. not his knowledge. for b.
has none. or 40 would let 1t go becausu
u u now good. and devote his work q
some other part Of the district, letting
the rains AM wheels make sad inroadl
into what might BE- kept good rod
with small but timely repairs. The gis'
Of the matter Is that both tho tar Lawn
and the road laws need great amend
ment before we may expect TO go god
roads. even though the wheelm0 q
their level best.