The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-09-22

live in the country we did not care for
the foreign country and We could get
along ourselves, but in the development
of things. with the war, and will al
lude to the civil war as an important
epoch in the history OF our country,
things changed very rapidly and lnVen-
tive genius in the country turned Its
attention to the invention of all kinds
of machinery and the improvements
continued rapidly I know one time L
was superintendent of a factory where
machinery had to be thrown out and
consigned to the scrap pile and new put
in but it was TO get the production with
the least possible cost And SO the
country looked to the agricultural inter-
ests. We developed the west and rails
ing wheat became the great industry
1t came along, every five years a big
crop on the same piece of ground and so
much raised that it became great IN
dustry by the application of machinery.
Now, look at the price today 1t could
not be raised by the farmer at that
price, but we We're raising more than We
consumed and we branched out We
are not afraid now.
1.-THE business men of the country see
that we have reached that point when
we are a nation that is recognized all
over the world where our products are
going Since then we have become an
exporter of cereals to a wonderful ex-
tent, and if you will take up the agrl-
cultural papers you will see the extent
we are increasing our business of eX-
porting products. We come in contact
with countries that have many advan-
tages over us. In the matter Of labor
they have it much cheaper. They nave
this advantage of good roads system.
1.-THE chamber OF commerce of New
York, comprised of the business men of
New York, in their memorial to con-
gress stated that this country is put to
a great disadvantage when compared
with other countries by reason of the
enormous cost of the primary haul of
the agricultural products OF the coun-
try and for the distribution of the COM
mercial and manufacturing products.
Congress asked its consulS to see the
systems of roads and their method and
they have made a report that has been
distributed throughout the country and
has excited a great deal of interest
wherever it was sent. 1t showed that
one horse could do there as much as
four here, that in the movement of agri-
cultural products it only cost 51z to Z
cents-an average say of cents. Now
Ex-Governor McCleary introduced a res
olution following up that memorial and
asking that $4,000 be appropriated to
ascertain the facts of the condition of
the roads of this country. Tt was mere
" simple resolution appropriating
SO, 900 to carry on this investigation.
1.-THE National League of Good Roads
in St Louis was then in existence and
this matter was placed in their charge
Governor Stone being the president of
that organization, he was made the head
of this department, to see what were
our condftions-ff they were as reported
by the business men of New York. The
information was secured after a great
deal of time and trouble in about the
same manner as an estimate of a crop
is made, by sending queries to cores
pondents all over the country If the
statements made are nOx racts, it is the
fault OF the farmer because it was from
him that the information was secured
Now IL was these people who needed the
facts and they are supposed to be the
Intelligent men of the country. We
wanted to know what is the primary
haul The primary haul is the haul from