The suburban citizen., 1901-10-26
Mo vsmsnt Should Bs Approved.


favor Of good roads is ex-
- perienclng many difficulties,
and it's promoters many discourage
ments. Like all other such movements
too It is to some extent being utilized
for private gain, and for the adver-
tisement of commercial commodities
in one direction or another. All this
and more, however, is a necessary evil
to the Accomplishment of the great
and enduring good which IS involved,
This great movement should CON
tinue to receive the active cooperation
and approval Of all progressive minds.
1t has within 1t the elements of the
greatest possible social gains to the
people of the entire country. When
even measurable degree of the pos
sibilities of the movement are realized,
the st. Paul Globe remarks editorially,
it will advance with giant strides in
every section Of the country until we
have effaced this stigma Of barbarism
which attaches to us on account Of the
condition of our public roads.
The convention of the National Good
Roads Association in Buffalo will re-
suit in directing national attention to
the movement. 1t will enlist the con-
certed efforts OF the most thoughtful
of it's advocates, and will go a long
way toward securing the final inter-
vention Of the State and local govern
ments in the effectuation Of the move
ment.
In settled communities in the East
1t Is possible for the Western traveller
here and there to see long stretches Of
public roads in tie distinctiyely agri-
cultural regions, removed many miles
from centres of city population, in as
good condition as our city streets.
And it invariably happens that in such
localities as are thus favored the SUI
perior degree of comfort and prosper
ity which prevails among the people
makes itself palpably clear.
There can be no doubt that the
spread of free rural postal delivery
will have an encouraging effect upon
the good roads movement Congress
should enact such laws as would oper-
ate to withhold from the localities
whose roads are neglected the privi-
leges of free rural delivery. A. pre-
MUM might thus easily be set by the
Federal Government upon the improve
ment Of local roads, If the advan-
tages and disadvantages involved in
the administration Of local roads
could in some such way be brought
home to the people of the several To-
calitles which are well enough popu-
lated to entitle them to free postal de-
livery, it would not be long until there
was a general awakening to the great
Importance Of the movement.
OF course, the great difficulty which
win be encountered at the outset is the
comparatively great expense of trans
forming mud cuts, such as most West
ern country roads are, into decent
thoroughfares. Their maintenance win
be comparatively inexpensive. Their
establishment will, however, be beyond
the immediate resources of many COM
munities otherwise willing to make
the necessary improvements. As the
States advance moneys to their several
counties, for one or other public use,
they should stand ready to do so with
reference to the good roads movement.
The good results coming from the es
tablishment Of passable highways
would be promptly repaid.
With the holding Of the Buffalo con-
ventlon for good roads it is not un-
reasonable to believe that the move
ment will have entered upon new
and highly encouraging phase.