The Press., 1896-02-20
Number AZ.
THE GOSPEL OF GOOD ROADS.

At recent gathering of Pennsylvania 1 road reformers, MT. A. J. Albertson, well-known civil engineer, who has done good work in the reconstruction of roads in New Jersey, gave some interesting facts bearing on the progress of road re- form in recent years. It has been proved, he says, that on sandy roads 30 bushels of grain are load for two horses; on so- called pike roads 50 bushels are the max imum load on macadam roads 100 bush els; and on the best grades of telford roads 200 bushels can be carried. If these 1 figures are correct, and there is no reason to question them, they furnish an impress sive argument for the improvement of rOads-an argument, moreover. which ought to appeal most powerfully to far mers, whose interest in the question has thus faI been rather sluggish. The agi- tatiOn for good roads accomplished little so long as it Was discussed from the specu- lative point of view. People who read appeals on the subject agreed with them in theory, perhaps; but they saw no req son why they should personally do any thing in the matter
 But the growth of bicycling at once changed all that. Every -wheelman be- came an advocate of good roads for the concrete and personal reason that without good roads bicycling woud be practically out of the question. Ii is this intelligent self-interest of the wheelmen that has done so much to stimulate the popular in- terest in the question of improving roads an interest which has been already ef- fective in results in many states. But, as a class, the farmers, upon whom the cost of improving the roads must largely fall, have been thus far apathetic in the mat ter, if not actually hostile, They have too generally looked upon the agitation as foolish fad of city folks and wheel men, which would result in no material benefit to farmers. But the farmer Is practical man; and if it can be shown that on good roads he would be able to haul load five or six times heavier than he can on a bad road it will not be long l OSIO10 1lS VIII thh0 11S JldcS HI VuS IEOEIl rank of road reformers.
 But there are other practical arguments in favor of good roads that also appeal strongly to the farmer. It is said that certain New Jersey cannerles pay 2 cents less basket for tomatoes that have been hauled over rubble roads, because they are injured by the iolting they receive. In Holland dogs, which are used largely in place of horses, can draw over the fine stone roads of the country as heavy a load as horses can draw on many high ways in the United States. There are few farmers who do not now keep one or practical value whatever. On the con- trary they have made 1t impossible to raise sheep in many parts of the country, and have thus proved to be costly lux ury. Now, the argument is made that if by the building of good roads these dogs could be utilized for hauling loads, as they are in Holland, the vexatious dog question would be settled in such a way as to add largely to the wealth of the country, and perhaps ultimately to pay back all that would be expended on road improvement.
 The dog, however, is only side issue in the case, and remote one at that. Moreover, many persons might be indig- nant at his sublection to such servitude. What is certain is that the interest in good roads Is rapidly growing an ong all classes of people, because it is coming to be recognized that the quescion' is not speculative, but eminently practical. Af- ter all, those old Romans who built the superb roads, many of which are still in existence, "knew thing or two." Road building with them was not fad, but one of the most effective agencies in extending their power and adding to their wealth. And so we believe it might be--may we not say will be?-with us in this country. -Nes0 Y0rk Tribune.