Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-01-03


constant touch with the worlds progress
and It's activities. This is the form OF
education the grange endeavors to In
culcste. The grange teaches Its men,
bers to think for themselves, to investi.
gate aud to decide questions for them
selves, which few years ago received
no attention from the farmers; II teaches
the farmers to take an active and Intel
ligent part In the management OF public
sfftirs; II teaches them TO drop old
methods, rs far rs the labor Of the farm
Is concerned, Of putting the boy through
the same routine ss the or or the horse,
and In this way IL making the home
brighter and happier and will In the
future result la keeping many bright
boy on the farm, ss many In the past
have left the old farm In disgust because
Of the constant drudgery.
GOOD ROADS.
The question Of good roads is one that
the agricultural classes are intensely In
terested In. They not only travel the
roads In rural towns more than Others.
but their annual income depends, to a
considerable extent, upon the condition
Of the roads over which they draw the
products OF the farms. II is estimated
that the public roads Of the United
States aggregate 1890, ,000, 600 miles In
length. Estimates OF authorities place
the total wagon transportation Of the
United States at approximately 800, 600,
600 tons. The average distance haul Is
placed ut eight miles, and the average
cost OF transporting one ton this distance
Ia g., making the total YEARLY cost for
wagon freighting $1,000, 100000. Ii Is
clsimed that this freight could be trans
ported over arst clsss roads At sn
sversge cost of so cents per ton. On
this basis a saving OF ss0O, ,0O0, 900 year
In the cost Of wagon transportation could
be effected with first class roads In all
sections Of the country. The magnitude
OF this saving will be- better appreciated
when It IL realized that II amounts 10
about one-fourth Of the value on the
farm, OF all the farm products Of the
United States. In round numbers the
sum Of $40 OO0, 900 is annually expended
for the maintenance OF our public roads
outside the cities. This estimste does
not include the cost OF permanent I'm
provenents.
The worst feature OF this Is that At the
end of each year, after the expenditure
Of $40. .000, 900, the roads OF the country,
az rule, are no better than they were
NJ the beginning, and without change
OF method. the tax payers may 60 on
indefinitely, paying this enormous sum
for the repairing OF public highways
without securing improved roads. Under
present conditions and practices sll i'm
provements must come from an lncress-
ed expense, which, we believe, the
people st this time are not In condition
To enter into. Our main roads were
built by esrly settlers from one hilltop
70 another, and In many instances might
be- very materially improved by change
o; location, going around hill Instead
OF over Il, At comparatively small ex-
peuse. Our present law, as far rs we
have been able To learn and Judge, Ia
faulty 10 the extreme, first because the
road commissioners are In altogether too
MANY instances selected. not because OF
their knowledge OF road building, or be-
cause they possessed qualifications for
pp-lttp i. but tVe VtbSp w f''N'N
influence or fsvoritism. The result Is
the whole town suffers In consequence
OF incompetence, and the highway fund
IA practically wasted. One common
fault In our highway system is neglect
Of the roads In the spring and fall
months, when by proper oversight In
turning the water, hundreds OF dollars
might be saved snnuslly, and better
roads be the result. submit, that In vi"w
ot our experience, recently, with some
Of our State commissioners, sre We ready
IN hsye a State Road Commissioner, who
shsIl he given absolute charge OF our
public highways, TO expend our money
In pursuit. Of knowledge and little
lunches"s
The maintenance " our public high
wavs Ia, therefore, n serious probi"m,
snd one that requires our earnest stt"n-
,ion sud beat thought; and II h-hoov@s
Us 10 see 10 Il th.t money appropriated
for highways, sh.ll be judiciously and
economically expended, 81 far as IL con-
sistent with efficiency and Improvement
~ opy nuhlic thorOuphfares