The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-03-02
GOOD ROADS.
THE NEED OF THEM GENER.
ALLY FELT.
Farmers Are the Greatest Losers BY
Bad Country Roads---SOme Things
That Are Necessary to Obtain Bet
ter Public Highways.
Popular Science Monthly.l

An unmlStaKaOie demand tor good
common roads is being heard in all
parts of the United States. This de-
nand is rapidly growing in volume
and is taking on the systematic organ
ization which is essential to the success
OF such movement. That bad roads
in this country cause an enormous loss
OF money each year TO those who use
them may be clearly proved, but this
fact is veiled from many persons be-
cause they have never known anything
better. The farmers are the greatest
sufferers. Where wagon wheels sink
hub deep in mud at some seasons a
farmer who has much hauling to do
must keep one or two more horses
than he would need if he had only
hard, even roads to 60 over, and his
loss in wear and tear of horsefesh,
harnesses and wagons is heavy tax
on his income. 1t often happens that
a farmer finds the roads absolutely
impossible with loaded wagon just
at the time when some of his produce
would bring the highest price if he
could haul it to railroad, and he is
forced to wait and take lower price
later. Livery stable keepers and all
other owners and users of horses and
vehicles suffer from bad roads in sim
liar WAYS.
in order to obtain better roads two
things are necessary. The first is to
create a general conviction that the
improvement of our highways is i'm
perative, and that money wisely ex-
pended for this purpose is sure to re-
turn. The second requisite is to place
all road making and mending under
the charge OF competent road builders.
Various efforts to secure these ends are
being made, and the aid of county
and state authorities, and even of the
national government, has been in
voked to further the movement. While
it is very desirable that the highways
of adjoining localities should be under
some central supervision, so that they
may be made to form a connected
whole, it may yet be questioned
whether the national government could
be an effective agency in road i'm
provement. Why, for instance, should
the dwellers beyond the Mississippi
and on the Pacific coast be taxed to
maintain in Washington a school for
road engineers and museum of road
construction that few, if any, of these
distant communities could derive any
benefit frcm3 A more practicable
scheme would be to have instruction
in road engineering given at each of
the State Colleges of Agriculture and
Mechanical Arts. In a country show
ing such wide differences in soil, rain
fall, temperature and topography be-
tween different sections as the United
States does, road building can be
taught and administered far more eff
ciently by the state or the county than
by the nation.
There is need of much intelligent
care in framing legislation in the in
terest of the movement for better roads. |
Annoying prohibitions should be no
part of the policy of the road reform
ers. For instance, large loads carried |
on wheels having narrow felloes and |
tires do great damage to roads; hence
it has been proposed to prohibit mar
row tires on heavy wagons. A much |
better policy is that adopted in Mich
igan, of giving reduction of one half
of their road taxes to those who will
use bread tires. The movement for
good roads shows lusty vigor. The
success that it has already achieved is
splendid testimony to the efficiency Of
voluntary associations of individuals,
and if its leaders continue to carry it |
on without the paralyzing patronage |
of the national government it is likely |
to attain great results.