The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-10-14
SOME OF THE
REASONS WHY
All AstOriuns Should Help Build
Good Roads In ClatsOp
County.
WHEN ALL THINGS ARE EQUAL
People WIN Settle IN a Community
Where There Are Good Drveways
ana County iloads- Money IN II
for Farmcrr.

ana County Roads Money IN II
for Farmerr
The announcement OF the bids on the
Eight street Improvement over the hill
TO Youngs Bay few days since,
caused much favorable comment. one
gentleman said that the building OF this
street opened the way TO further county
road improvements and second and
much needed connection with the pro-
posed brlGgc over Youngs river 10 con-
meet with the new Lewis and Clarke
road The street viii practically be
In the center Of the city and win make
II possible 20 develop large amount Of
valuable property on the east slope
which will IN time form part OF the most
desirable residence property OF the city.
The gentleman who was discussing
the matter. and who II connected with
vae Of the largest business houses In
the city. continued his talk upon the
subject Of the Importance Of good roads
with an Astorian representative:
Il viii tell you some OF the reasons.
which appear 10 me 10 be good ones.
why Astorians should take an active
part In the building Of good county
roads. was much surprised. the other
day. In talking with "a prominent prop
crty- owner of the city IN regard 20
this subjcct-thc building cf city and
county roads and the bridge across
Young's river-to And that for some
reason or other he was not particularly
favorable TO the idea OF spending any
money for road improyemnts at all,
and II occurred to me at the time that
either he did not have any business
qualifications or did not know what he
was talking about. la---,.
1T Is a well known fact that the
farming community OF any country Is
the backbone OF tho country The
farmers are the ones upon whom we
must depend To great extent 10 pre-
serve the stock OF the race. Their ahil-
ity TO do this Is due TO their temperate
mode OF lifc and healthy occupation.
They are free from the health-destroy-
Ing influences OF the large cities. II is
this sturdy stock OF the nation which
all should aid In preserving with the
utmost care. as on this part OF the peo-
pile lies their future manhood and
wealth. Very little has been done by
the country In general or the people In
particular localities to enhance and I'm
prove the condition OF the farmer. II
should be our duty TO make them as
as possible under all cir
cumstances and In all their surround
ings. so that larger percentage Of
our population would seek the farmers
calling and remain in II, thus elevating
the business and raising the standard
OF intelligence and social life OF its fol-
lowers Good roads, which enable quick
and easy communication between the
farm and the town, ready access to the
best market with the least wear and
tear on vehicles and horses, and neigh
borly intercourse between farmers, are
the greatest means to the desired end.
There Is another great fact, which
up to the present time all political
speakers have overlooked, and that Is
with proper roads the farmer is better
able to keep his stock OF cereals, and
all his other products. stored In his
barns and granaries for whatever ad-
vancement in prices the markets OF the
world may bring. II is at the present
time a matter Of necessity for the farm
er OF the West TO sell his products as
soon after harvest as possible. as II Is
impossible for him to store his crops
for future delivery. because he cannot
deliver his goods after winter sets in
on account OF the poor roads which soon
become impossible for heavy teams.
This state OF affairs Is money in the
hands OF the spectators, who reap a
fortune off the farmers disadvantages,
When the products are brought to mar
ket he buys them up at his own fig
ure, and the farmer must perforce sell,
as he cannot haul his goods back over
a long road, or store them, except at a
high cost, in the city, to await a turn
in the market. The buyer can hold his
purchases at small expense in his ware
house and wait for the profits OF a
speculative market These profits, to q
certain extent. should go into the pock-
cts OF the original tiller Of the soil, and
would do so II they were not compelled
to pay high rates OF storage and insur-
ance in the city. With first-class roads,
that could be used winter and summer,
the farmer could keep his products in
his own warehouses and sell and de-
liver them when the markets were IA
vorable
There is another fact which is often
lost sight of in considering this ques-
tion OF roads, It is an aggregation of
people that makes city, and history
shows that the cities of the United
States have grown whenever there was
a large territory from which to draw
trade, whether 1t was from Immediately
surrounding farm lands, whole coun-
ties. or states. A city must have a
territory in which to do its business.