The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1901-07-25

4 ~ W iuuutt TIE trONt1nfntII 10 tOD-
struct a sample of good roads in the
county or in given section of coun-
ty. There are several ways to make
start to interest Uncle Sam in the
good roads proposition In n locality,
but the best way. If there Is an organ
izatlon for basis, Is given below,
says the Minneapolis Times.
In many of the counties of the Mid
die West, or more properly of the
Ohio and Mississippi valleys, there are
organized agricultural societies. The
writer Is acquainted with many of
these that have monthly meetings.
Their membership is usually made up
OF leading and intelligent farmers. If
the members of one of these societies
would like to have sample road in
their county, possibly from one end of
the county to the other, 50 that all
may have an opportunity to see and
test 1t, motion should be offered at
one of the regular meetings that the
society petition the Government to
build sample good road i'm the coun-
ty OF the society While the move is
being made, it would be as well to re-
quest that the Government send engi-
neers and road making experts to in
vestigate the road building materials
of the county and the conditions of the
county, and to make report on the
proper material to use in the locality
and the best general system to employ.
AT this point there is apt to be a
pretty lively discussion as to the best
means of getting this petition to the
attention of Uncle Sam. More than
likely one or two members of the So
ciety has personal recollection of the
President Mckinley has been max
Ing friends over these United States
for more than a generation, and
knows an amazing lot of people. II
the society happens to be in Iowa
more than half the members are apt
to have an acquaintance with that
canny old Scotchman. Mr.. Wilson
Jamie Wilson, the Secretary of Agri-
culture These men will want the pc.
tition sent to the President or to the
Secretary of Agriculture. Others VIII
have other suggestions as to the best
way to move ON the Government.
Some will want to write letters to
their Senators and others to their
Congressman. SO far as the President
or Secretary of Agriculture is CON
cerned, each may as well be left out of
the question. 1t does no good to write
to them. | know, because one of the
under secretaries at the White House
the other day was inquiring What in
thunder is causing all these good roads
letters to come to the President?
Naturally they are referred.
The way to do is to move on the
Congressman and Senator in organized
fashion. They are used to such
things, and will not mind bit After
the society has adopted the motion a
petition should be drawn up to the
Congressman. This petition should
read something like this:
ITO the Hon. - , Repre-
sentative in Congress for the til
District of (State): We, the under
signed members of the -- Society
(use name of society, respectfully pc.
tition you to use your influence to Sc
cure sample good road for this coun-
ty. I'VE ask that the Government send
to this county its roadmakers and en-
glneers to report on the most durable
and economical materials and the kind
o. roads which may be constructed to
the best advantage in this county"
This Is just as good as thought two
pages of typewriter foolscap be sent
to the Congressman. This should be
GiOnnn hx of
ciety. After it is signed and forward
ed copy of the resolution authorizing
the petition. and copy of the petition
with a statement of the number of
names, should be sent to the two Sen
ators of the State. The society should
request the cooperation of the Sena-
tors In the work of securing a sample
road for the county.
With entire propriety some of the
congressman may be able to say that
1t will be impossible for them to get
sample road made in the county
where the petition arose That is
what they used to say with reference
to rural free delivery. They replied
that the appropriation was sufficient
to give routes to but few They kept |
on saying that until 1t became such a |
nuisance that he got hump on him |
self and started out for more money |
for rural free delivery. He began |
with the proposition tnat rural free |
delivery was had thing, because it |
put fourth-class postmasters out OF |
jobs. 1t took many of them quite a |
while to understand that hundred |
or more progressive farmers were of |
more Importance to them than
fourth-class postmaster
At present the Congressman is told |
that the main thing in the way of de- |
veloping the rural free delivery sys- |
TEN Is the condition of the roads. |
They are being told by the Postotfice |
Department that even in sections |
where Il is claimed that they have |
good roads that if is impossible to get |
the full benefits out Of the rural deliv. |
cry system because 1t takes the carrier |
so long to cover his route In all kinds |
of weather. He added $3,000O0 to |
the rural free delivery appropriation |
this year because the farmers were af- |
ter him for routes He reduced the |
good roads appropriation for the for. |
ty-hve States of the Union from S5O,- |
900 to $4,000 because the farmers |
were paying no attention TO the mat i