The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-08-30
GOOD ROADS AND COUNTRY
LIFE.

common roads is being heard in all
parts of the United States. This de
mand is rapidly growing in volume
and is taking on the systematic organ
ization which is essential to the success
of such a movement. That bad roads
in this country cause an enormous loes
of money each year to those who use
them may easily be proved, but this
fact is yelled from many persons be
cause they have never known any
thing better. The farmers are the
greatest sufferers. Where wagon
wheels sink hub-deep in mud at some
seasons, farmer who has much haul
ing to do must keep one or two more
horses than he would need if he had
only hard, even roads to go over, and
his loss in the wear and tear of horse
flesh, harness and wagons is heavy
tax on his income. 1t often happens
that farmer finds the roads absolute,
ly impossible with a loaded wagon just
at time when his produce would
bring the highest price if he could haul
it to a railroad, and he is forced to
wait and take a lower price later.
Livery sable keepers and all other
owners and users Of horses and vehicles
suffer from bad roads iu a similar way.
In order to obtain better roads two
things are necessary. The first is to
create a general conviction that the
Improvement of our highways is i'm
perative. and that money wisely ex-
pended for this purpose is sure to re-
turn. The second requisite is to place
all road making and mending under
the charge of competent road builders.
Various IF Jrts to secure these ends
are being made and the aid of county
aud State authorities, and even the
National Government, has been in
voked to further the movement. While
it is very desirable that the highways
Of af j )ining localities should be under
some central supervision, so that they
may be made to form connected
whole, it may be questioned whether
the National Government could be an
effective agency in road improvement.
Why, for instance, should the dWellers
beyond the Mississippi and on the
Pacific Coast be taxed to maintain in
Washington school for road eugi-
neers and a museum Of road construc
tion that few, if any, of these distant
communities could derive any benefit
from9 A more practicable scheme
would be to have instruction in road
engineering given at each of the State
Colleges of Agriculture and Mechanic
Arts. In a country showing euch wide
differences in soil, rainfall, tempera
t1re and topography between different
sections as the United States does, road
building can be taught and admins
tered far more efficiently by the State
or the county than By the Nation.
There is need OF much intelligent
care in framing legislation in the in.
terest of the movement for better roacs
Annoying prohibition should be 20
part OF the policy Of the road reform
eTs. For instance, large loads carried
on wheels having narrow felloeg and
tires do great damage TO roads; hence
it has been proposed 30 prohibit nar.
row tires on heavy wagons. A much
better policy is that adopted in Michi-
gan, OF giving a reduction Of one half
their road tax to those who will use
broad tires. The movement for good
roads shows lusty vigor. The sue
cess that it has already achieved ia
splendid testimony to the efficiency Of
voluntary association Of individuals,
and if it's leaders continue to carry il
on without the paraly zing patronage
of the general government it is likely
to attain great results. Popular Science
Monthly.