The Indianapolis journal., 1894-01-05
GOODROADSTALKEDOF
Discussions at the First Days Ses-
siOns of the Association.
Cause of the Opposition of Farmers to
Radical Changes in Road Legis-
lation-Other Papers.

The road congress, or Indiana Highway
Association, began a two days session yes
terday morning The attendance was not
20 be compared with that of its first meet
ing, which occurred at the same place,
Representative Hall, last year. At that
time the attendance estimated at eight
hundred, the hall and galleries being packed
with farmers and men interested In the
construction of roads. There was not to
exceed fifty persons congregated IN the
hall yesterday when President Mason j.
Niblack called the congress to order. on
taking the chair President Niblack stated
that the object of the meeting was to bring
forward the best methods of road building.
II was not the purpose to put additional
burdens the people. 1t was intended to
keep up the discussion of this subject from
year to year until the road problem was
finally solved.
MORNING DISCUSSIONS.
In the absence Of Governor Matthews, who
was down on the programme for an ad-
Dress Senator j. a. Mount, of Shannon
dale. talked for half an hour on "The
Farmer and Good Roads" He said he
had, in travelling over the State, found two
sentiments as to this movement. A few
men had a wrong conception of the move
ment. They suspected that it was in the
interest of the wheelnen or some other
class. The men who are carrying on the
work, he said, ought to be encouraged in
every way The subject had been discussed
in every farmers institute he had attended.
Only the highest success was attained by
the country that had best roads. Farmers
wanted roads as cheap as possible. There
was, he thought, too much red tape In
the law regulating the construction or
roads. He said he had found that roads
could be built cheaper by not following In
gineers would sometimes take advantage or
the law. He had known engineers to put
five days into one. But, notwiths tanding
all this, the farmers OF Indiana heartily
approved this movement.
His paper was quite lengthy, and at the
conclusion OF Its reading a discussion or ltS
merits enSued.
Resolutions adopted by the ST Joseph Val
ley Grange were presented by Christian Hal
Ter, who was a delegate from that body,
sent on purpose to present the same to the
highway association. The resolutions were
read, as follows:
Resolved, % We are now, as we ever
have been, I'm favor of good roads and will
continue to construct the same as fast as
can be done consistently on the pay-aS-you-
go principle, but are earnestly opposed to
dictation and compulsion by manufacturers
of wheels and combination of speculative
interests, by the issuing of bonds CD We
urge upon the farmers OF our county and
State that they take early advantage of
the law which compels trustees to dupli-
cate any amount of donated labor on roads
with dollar for dollar from road funds,
and by so doing control said fund. CD We
shall ever be on the alert and watch with
earnest eye any attempt to fasten upon us
and our posterity a bonded Indebtedness
for roads, and shall endeavor to checkmate
the same by both vote and influence. (4)
That the st. Joseph Valley Grange delegate
to the road congress to meet in Indian
apolis in January, 1894 be and is hereby
instructed to use every honorable means
in his power to prevent any change in the
road laws of our State now In force ex-
cept he shall favor any practicable or feas-
ible plan for use of all convict labor in
preparing material for and in constructing
roads and highways"
Mr. Haller discussed the road question at
length. The subject called for remarks
from Professor Latta, of Purdue Universi-
ty; Aaron Jones, of South Bend; 1. n.
Cotton. of Marion county, and c. A. Rob-
inson-
OPPOSITION OF FARMERS.
Probably the most interesting paper of
the afternoon was that of A. p. Kent, of
Elkhart. Mr.. Kent was absent, but sent
his production, which was read by Secre-
tary Evans Woolen. He took for his sub
ject "Is the Farmer Opposed to the Good
Roads Movement? If so. Why?"
He said: The questions asked In the
subject assigned are the outgrowth of
the discussions in and after the road con-
gress in 1892. The comments made by many
farmers at the meeting of the congress-
raised there in the press and in public
meetings subsequent to the gathering in
indianapolis, suggested the question
whether the farmers as class are really
in favor of the movement toward roads
better adapted to the progress of the GEN.
tury, and to the needs of the farmer HIM
self.
Probably If the poll could be taken of
the farmers of Indiana the majority would
declare themselves in favor of some plan
that could put the roads which they are
called upon TO use in better shape, to make
| them less subject TO the changing seasons.
| The farmer who sees values of land in
creased by the building of a good road
| along it's sides does not need to be argued
| with on the question. The farm that lies
alongside a well-drained, carefully-worked
mud road commands better price than the
farm that faces a poor road, even though
the latter may lie nearer the railway sta
| ton. Distance counts not so much as ease
of transportation in the transfer of the
farm product to the market.
"That there are farmers who oppose the
present movement was abundantly proved
last year at the meeting. That many did
| it from the mistaken idea of the purpose
and the end sought was also very apparent.
| And the various officers of the association
| have no doubt met with the same oppoSi-
| tion from those whom they have sought
| to interest in the movement The farmer
| who let's his new harvester stand in the
| weather unprotected, from harvest 10 har-
| vest, does not believe that the farmer OF
| to-day needs any better roads than his an
| c6StOrS he'd.
''The farmer who has not recognized the
Il
| ment of the farm and its products and the
| transportation of whatever he raises, has
/ not learned the value of good roads. He
| thinks it better to pey $40 for the repairs OF
| his harness and broken wagon than S. for
road tax. He does not recognize the waste
| and expense of worn-out horse flesh in
dragging heavy loads over bad roads. He
has not learned yet the principle OF
economy in the management of his bust
| ness, and in this progressive nineteenth
century this element cuts q larger figure in
| the profits then any other one element
1.-THE opposition TO the movement in favor
of good roads comes from those farmers
| of time, material and energy. All farmers
do not oppose the movement but many
do, and many who are intelligent in their
general outlook upon the public economy
There is some reason for this. The oppo-
sition is not always captious; II Is not al
| cases IL is n natural instinct against any
| innovation. The old practice of piling uI
| the mud and scraping IL into the middle OF
| the road is good eEcugh for those who op
| pose the movement for better roads. They
| do not believe in any new-fangled notions
| they are satisfied with the way their fathers
| made roads, and all unnecessary expense
| is only one manifes tation Of the greed OF
| the tax-eaters. The conservative spirit i:
| strong in many farmers, and they are not
| as class, quick To adopt new ideas in any
| thing.
But there is other reason for this sturdy
| opposition to the proposed methods OF road
| making and road keeping. Changes in the
| laws are actively and violently opposed by
| most farmers. In the discussions in the
| press and in road congresses the advocates
| often take too high flights. They demand
| a radical change in the laws which gov
| ern road making; they talk about
/ ba do zpd af