The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1896-12-22
Road Com mission
Is What "Hillican Ben" Wants.
Views Of a Pioneer Advocate
Farther ExpOunded.


pioneer agitator and advocate o
the good roads question In tht
columns of your paper and you The
originator of the theme, 1t Is true
that | have remained dormant fol
some time but have not lost inter
est in this subject with so many
reminders, l hoped, but in vain
that new recruits would come tc
the relief, none except "Trayeler'
has come, whom we heartily vel
come, so / volunteer to again enter
the contest, not expecting to gain
any Glory! but to provoke others
to express an opinion. ], like
"Traveler" will be candid In con.
fessiOn, l am no doubt as good a
Republican as he is II Democrat;
But party prejudiccs and party
differances must be kept out of
this kind of correspondence. We
must unite, join hands and let
politics be secondary as we advance
ON better highways. will say then
that there is nothing in all the
walks of life as good and pleasant
as good roads; nothing so nearly
in touch with every business ava
nue. of life as good roads; 1t not
only governs every intellectual ad-
vance and moral states but acts as
a medium in the price and cost OF
exchange between producer and
consumer. Now for an exposition
Of my plan I will illustrate briefly,
to show the farmer that he is mis-
taken when he looks upon the cost
of building good roads as burden
some tax like some other items
that are sinking funds that yield
no apparent profit to the tax payer
FOR the reason first that 1t Is an in
vestment that is pertinent and
acting reciprocally benefits both
producer and consumer saving
cost to each and hence adding
dividend to each and joining COM
munities in closer touch and put
ting us in q commercial relation
that we can compete with other
markets and controle our own
market. To illustrate my idea j
will say Mr.. A. is the owner of a
good farm that cost him $4,000
that possesses all the necessary
elements to produce products, but
II is all in forest and before he can
SOW and reap to gain profit there
from he must invest capital and
labor TO clear and fence 1t and then
bring it into a state of cultivation,
then comes sowing and reaiing
and gathering into the granary,
then comes the greatest concern Of
all getting it into market. How can
he get 1t there without road, and
how can he get road, without
cost? Did he get his farm improv-
ed without cost? Then would il
not be better for Mr.. A. and his
neighbors to build a substantial
way to market. Say that Mr.. A
lives 10 miles from Logan and IL
he is farmer up to date he will
produce the things that demand
the most profit and indispensable
to the consumer. Then he too to
cheaper the cost and have an un-
falling supply will he willing to
pay tax rs luxury. Also the
merchant who wants the custom
will gladly pay. Then Mr.. "A. If he
Is Il swearing man will have no
reason 10 harrass the good fealings
of the residents while on his way
to market. We will ask Mr.. A,
or any body else, which would be-
the most profit to $4,000 farm to
invest an additional $1,000 in land
to the farm or put in $1,000 per-
minent road building. My plan is
that a reconstruction and review
and survey is necessary in Hooking
county and for this purpose, l be-
lieve a road commission would he
preferable to locate and form esti
mates of cost and have the super
vision, as the county commission
rrs are numbered with too many
other affairs to give road building
proper attention. 1 also believe IL
should be begun at once and built
in sections the whole work done
say in five years. and the cost paid
by floating bonds payable by levy.
For to wait 5 years for income
from tax would make 1t 10 years
off to realize any profit from the tax.
"HILLICAN BEN"
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The New Immigration Bill In Nut