Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-09
WANT BETTER ROADS.
The Farmers Institute Spends a
Morning Discussing Highways.
MANY BRIGHT IDEAS ADVANCED.
The Agriculturist and the Cleo Dealer Draw
Battle Lines.
HON. W. A. STONE on WOOL PROTECTION

AaANhlIlu NGSlGiOdN. 1ht D1SfAICH Il
responsible Tor it. Yesterday it reminded
the members of the institute that it was for.
getting the most vital question, and when the
convention opened yesterday morning the
road question was brought up, and it was all
Chairman Mccullough conld do to get it
stopped to give place to the other topics.
The oleomargarine question was also
brought up, and lines were drawn between
the farmers of that district and the mer-
chants of Tarentum which never will be re-
moved. 1t is well known that the Farmers
Alliance was behind the arrests of the
Tarentum dealers of oleo some weeks ago
For this reason it was held by some that it
was poor policy to bring the matter up.
Good Roads Necessary for Good Farming.
Robert Anderson, of Harrison township,
opened the discussion yesterday with a
talk on ''Shams and Special Privileges as
en- Through the Eyes of Common Sense"
Mr.. Anderson commenced by talk on
oleomargarine. Skipping on he caught up
with the great menace to good farming,
bad roads. The present roads are one of
the greatest drawbacks to successful
farming. 1t is generally the case
that a farmer has to take his products from
10 to Is miles to market. In this he is handi-
eral thing the market is at the best during
the winter and spring months. But at these
times it is nearly impossible to go more than
ten miles in day and return. Then you
cannot take load of any size. The conse-
Quence of this is people living along the
railroads get their farm products into the
markets when the prices are the best. When
spring comes and the roads get fairly pass
able, we farmers can then get into town, but
The price is so low it does not pay us.
THE State gives aid to the schools, both
public and normal, the hospitals and other
institutions while the farmer gets nothing
to aid him. He is compelled, though, to con
tribute in the way OF taxes to all these
things.
Paving the Country With Liquor Fees
'If the State of Pennsylvania cannot ap-
propriate money to assist the farmer in
ma king better roads, there are other ways of
doing something to help the cause. think
IT nothing more than right that the liquor
licenses of PENNSYLVANIA in their entirety
he turned over to make better roads.
1t would be a drop in the bucket.
Then the farmer could contribute, but not
he alone, for he is not the only one who
uses the roads. 1 think everyone who has
cause to travel should be compelled to con-
tribute"
Many of the farmers thought the State
should advance all the money, but such an
idea was not favorably received by all of
those present.
The state Should Not Do 1t All.
". II. II. Riddle, OF Butler, Pa, was pres
cnt and he was with the above class. "Since
the State has been appropriating money for
schools said he, "the residents of many of
the rural districts have acquired wrong
views of the matter They think the money
i intended to keep up the schools and they
do not need topay any taxes. This is wrong.
The appropriation is made for the better
luent II the schools ana the len gthening of
the terms. The States aim is to give this
money with the intention that the tax
payers will also give aid. If the State was
to appropriate great sums of money to the
uphuilding OF thoroughfares, the farmer in
many districts would look on it in the same
ligat as the school appropriation.
Il think one of the greatest drawb backs to
good road making is the present law, or |
rather the absence of law. Every road su- |
peryisOr has his own ideas of building |
roads and few OF them are good With hun |
dreds OF different roadmakers and different |
ideas the highways cannot be kept in good |
order. think the Legislature should pass.
& law deciding on a uniform system OF MAX
ing roads. and then let the farmers and |
Others be taxed for their making and main |
tena0ce." |
J. Nickel. of Westmoreland, followed. 81 |
believe, said he, "the farmers should be |
taxed 10 keep up the roads, and men should |
he paid to do the work / am opposed to
having farmers who know nothing about
highways at work on them"
Where Bad Roads Are Unknown.
L. E. McDanels, of Tarentum, was pres
ent. For number of years he had lived in
the State of Indiana, where bad road is
not known.
"In Indiana" I" he said, where the land own
ers adjoining 3 line of public road desire to |
grade and gravel the road they draw up a |
petition and have it signed by majority of |
the owners. The County Commissioners al |
low the prayer of the petitioners and order |
the County surveyor to survey the line and |
make profile and specifications, with an |
estimate of the cost This is pro rated |
LON a +ir1rr
acre upon land directly adjoining the line, |
down TO . cents per acre, extending two |
miles back The Commissioners let the |
contract at stipulated rates per mile, and \
bonds are issued Tor payment for building |
the line. The land owners pay the tax in |
lnstalments and lessen the burden of taxa |
Jlon.
The road bed is made from one to two |
feet higher than the common level, while |
the gutter is at least one foot deep. The |
center OF the road Is oval in form, and COW
cred with Is inches of bank gravel. This in |
q short time packs smoothly and becomes |
Very hard and durable. For single track |
road the gravel Is put on nine teet wide, 1
y hich settles on each side to make a track |
wide enough to admit the passage of wagons. |
Twelve ieet wide is required for a double |
track. This becomes about l5 in width, ad- /
nitting TWO teams driving abreast. Where |
gravel Is not obtainable crushed stone can |
b. used. This should be put on not less |
than Is or 20 inches deep. The road bed /
need only be made of clay. Having the gut
ters deep enough, with proper outlet, the |
water soon leaves the road and is not a b.
soTbed by capillary attraction, keeping the /
road dry
J. Nicl1ols, Of Westmoreland county, next
read paper on Protection to the Agri-
cultural Interests OF America Rev. j. +.
Core also talked on the subject
Tackled the OIeomargarine Question.
7. p. Fleeson, OF Tarentum, opened the
question of should the Law Prohibit
ing the Sale Of Oleomaigarine be Repealed?"
The fact that this subject would be
brought up had been heraided about
town and large number of the citizens
were present to hear the discussion. This
il an interesting question to the people of |
1urentum from the fact that. there have |
The town people are in favor
OF the selling of oleomargarine and against |
the product OF the farm. For this reason |
the discussion grew quite animated.
Mr.. FleeSon said: There is NOT enouob |
butter made in the State of Pennsylvania |
to supply One-third OF the population The |
farmers say butter cannot be made with |
profit tor less than 40 or 80 cents a pound |
People cannot 2fford to pay these prices and
the best thing Jhey~can do Is to buy oleomarg- |
arine. This article has had much said |
arainst it, but it has never been scien- |
tifically judged injurious.
This is a free country and no one has n |
right to saw q man shall not buy oleomarpa. |
l,ine | do believe it should be platnIv
slammed and / also think it is right to tax |
the stun. This should be done SO farmers |
can compete with It.
4 think that the most contemplate Legis.
laiure ever sitting i'll Pennsylvania was the |
one which passed the oleomargarine law.
The most righteous thing the next Legisla-
ture could do is to repeal the law"
Defending the Farmers Position.
J. c. Johnston followed and read a paper
= ,.f..,d dino the farmer and seyerely con \