The Red Cloud chief., 1901-02-22

STAT. Ala for Road Improvement.

meetings recently held in Illinois In
dictate that the attempt to interest
farmers In the subject OF state aid
for the improvement OF roads is meet
ing with some opposition. The objec-
ton raised was that a state tax would
mean that to just the extent OF the
state tax paid by him. a citizen of one
county would be made to pay for i'm
~provements In another county that
would be OF no personal interest or
value to him.
Is this position well taken? Can
there be q great public improvement
in IN part OF a state that will be
valueless to the people IN other parts
OF the state7 The people In the rural
districts OF Illinois probably feel that
they have no interest In the public i'm
provements In Chicago, but is 1t likely
that IL no improvements had been
made; II Chicago had remained the
mud hole 1t was when old Fort Dear
born was built. that Illinois would be
the great state 1t is today? Would 1t
have made the great and rapid devel-
opment 1t has experienced without the
stimulous of q great city reaching out
for its productsf
No thoughtful man questions the
wisdom shown by the government in
encouraging the building of transcon-
tlnental lines Of railroad by large
grants Of land or money, yet the same
sort of an objection might have been
made when the Union Pacific was
built. that Is raised now when state
aid In the building Of wagon roads ia
proposed. viz: that IL would only bene-
ut the states through which 1t passed.
1t Is generally admitted that the rail-
and therefore OF value to every citizen
OF the United States. II this be true.
surely the wagon roads are the veins
OF commerce ana because they are
nearest to the products on which the
citizens Of our country depend either
as consumers or exporters, the mor
valuable. When the country roads are
impossible, as Is frequently their con
dition during the winter season in the
corn belt, farmers are unable to haul
their produce to the railroads and the
shortage In supply that such condi-
tons breed, causes a rise in prices, of
which the middleman with a
stock on hand. reaps the benefit. As
o IS shipments are resumed the
market Is temporarily slutted and
nriHCC drnn hafnrA thu farpnnr hoe a
chance to realize on his shipments. II
all the n of trade could be kept
open all the year around, II would I'M
doubtedly be better for all concerned,
certainly for the railroads, who would
rather have enough business every day
In the year to keep all their cars en-
plOyed than to have such q rush a,
certain seasons that they are unable
to handle It. That the railroads arr
alive to their interests in this matter
Ia proved by the action OF some o
them In shipping material for road i'm
provement free or at q nominal cost
II the grain grower could be sure o
good roads for hauling and good ship
ping facilities all the year around, h,
would not feel obliged to sell his grail
as soon as 1t Is threshed rather thar
take the risks Of getting 1t to marke
later In the season, as he is often con
strained to do now. Nothing would 8,
greatly aid In the economical distri
button Of produce az good roads. Whel
the corn crop fails in one state tn,
| fanHaro 80 lfun atnnE unpN 20 nnrrhnl
the corn OF some other state and tn
condition OF the roads In that stat
over which 1t Is hauled may consid
erably affect the price they will b
compelled to pay.
In u country like ours, what Is 10
the best good OF the whole is for tn
best good of the individual and no on
can AFFORD to oppose great public In
provements because he falls to see d
rect personal advantage to himsel
Such a spirit INDUCED In and carrie
to It's legitimate ends would overthro'
all our %institutiDs, for the whol
scheme of government, of civilizatiO
itself. Is the combined effort of all &c
the good OF all. AS the good book put
1t: mo man liveth unto himself an
no man dieth unto himself" We cal
not get very far from the golden ru'
without retrograding commercially 9
we'll as morally. In a later issue v
hope u give full particulars OF Il
road improvement bills recently intr'
duced In the Illinois legislature
Danraaaptativa CnrttQ