New-York tribune., 1896-08-26
opportunity through their wanton destruction or
disDprsOn.
scUOOLS AND coon ROiDS.

uisa circumstance worthy OF more than pass
Inc ,ote that AZ a recent convention Of teachers
and educators in Buffalo an address on the S"o-
loot of Good Roads" was given by Generai Roy
Stone head Of the Government department. VI
road inquiry General Stone Is recognized a"-
thorty on this subject. and what ne sa'u was
practical and timely. On reading the an"o"
ment OF such address the hrst ques''o" '"''
will arise in many minds Is. What nave the pun
lie schools OF the country to do with good roaoS'
little reflection viii serve to show that tne an
swer to the question should be- "A great dea'
The most important step to be taken IN the AZ
talnment OF good roads in this country is the ed
ucaton of the people to their value and economic
necessity and it is plain that in this matter much
can he done by those who have in their charge
the training of the young
What has been done in other lines is suggestive
OF what may be done in this Several years ago
few persons who were regarded by some az
cranks and by others as merely step In advance
OF their time, thought it would be good thins TO
impress on the minds Of growing boys ana girls
the importance Of a knowledge Of and love Tor
trees and now Arbor Day in the schools Is virtu-
ally q National institution Does any one doubt
that its establishment was a good thing DOES
any ono regret the information concerning trees
that has tnuS bePn nnpdntcu III W
breasts9 While there Is a sentimental side 10
Arbor Day. there is also strongly pracucai s'de'
Even a little knowledge OF trees adS7 appreciably
to the interest and pleasure of those VINO go coun-
tryward I'm the summer season; and those who
know and love trees will never willingly consent
to see them wastefully destroyed. 1t is easy to
conceive Of the time when there snail DE hoad
Day as we'll an Arbor Day.
4sI h,r
Stone in his Buffalo address. He called upon the
educators of the country to preach the gospel OF
good roads" and further to teach little road
building in all the schools 1t is a practical con-
cern Of everyday life, as he we'll remarked. and
should interest parents as we'll children,
women well as men. you Will need no text
books" he said for no high-cass technical
"knowledge is necessary 10 teach the rudiments
"of road construction and repair" Another prac-
teal suggestion was that the teachers could do
much actually to improve the roads of the coun-
try. General Stones belief is that the great need
of our country roads is daily care, for in the alb
sence Of care every defect grows by geometrcal
progression. His estimate is that SiODoWo is
spent every year on road repairs and yet the
roads are made no better. So he recommends
that road leagues he organized among the older
schoolboys. that the few necessary tools be sup
piled by the township authorities, and that the
boys be set at work as road-repairers. The educa-
tional effect Of this policy would undoubtedly be
excellent: but the first thing to be done is to get
good roads to be kept in repair Boys cannot
build roads that smooth and permanent.
though in many regions it would be possible to
train them for the work proposed by General
stone
Such an address before such body is in itself a
mark Of progress toward the goal which all intel
ligent people deem OF vital Importance By all
means let the gospel Of good roads be taught in
the schools of the country; and in connection
with ii let the importance Of not littering pave
ments or sidewalks he taught in city schools.