Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1903-07-16
"GOOd Roads, Again.

The Citizen from time to time urges the
farmers to haul stones and make roads. 1t
seems to be the settled policy of The Citizen
TO advocate, specially, this general plan of
road making in fact, we do not recall that
any good roads" proposition has ever ap-
peared among the original matter of The
Citizen, other than that in which the farmer
is put under obligation to haul stones off his
farm and Herewith make q good road Now,
not only has the farmer other things at which
he can work to his own profit, but the sug.
gestion that he use his spare time, gratis, for
the benefit Of the public is somewhat akin to
the proposition that The Citizen utilize its
spare space for the publication Of county
advertising, gratis; that it always has spare
space at its command is proven by the cir
cumstance that regardless of the exteDt or
suddenness OF demand upon it, space is al.
ways available for New Ads"
If Tho Citizen will make plain just why
there should be distinction made between
the revenue producing time and labor of the
farmer and the revenue producing columns
of The Citizen; why the former should give it
for the public's benefit, while the latter sho'd
not be expected to do so; if The Citizen will
make it reasonably clear that each mile of
public road is strictly a local interest in
which those Lying elsewhere in the county
haye no interest, then will it have secured
THE CLARION as disciple of the doctrine
that the farmer whose "visible property"
covers his entire holding, as rule, and is
taxed for "all in sight," should, in addition,
make roads for the benefit Of drummers,
tourists and tramps, the first doing business
for big firms outside the county, the second
having their capital invested in non taxed
national, state or municipal bonds, the last
not taxed.
The real thing in this good roads" matter
is this: the tens of thousands of miles of pub.
lie road in q State no larger than Maryland
is an immense public interest and should be
treated as such and not dealt with on the
"dip the Ganges dry with teaspoon and
pick up Mt. Aetna with sugartongs" plan;
great aggregations Of capital, only, make
possible the building and equipment of rail-
road systems; governmental financing makes
possible an immense postal system; neither
of greater real importance to the country as
a whole than are the country roads over
which its products are hauled to the several
centers of shipment. hence the rational way
of dealing with the public road problem is to
insist upon it being put IN the category of
National and State utilities, to be developed
and cared for by them as are the mails, the
schools and the courts
The sum annually expended on the repair
of public roads in this county, capitalized at
per cent, equals about 100000. Without
being chargeable with exaggeration we may
safely say that 80 per cent of the work done
is undone by subsequent rains within three
months and when winter comes good roads"
ere about as real as the average pipe dream
conccit.
When the country people cease to be pen
nywIse; when leaders of thought in the coun.
try rise to plane that places the immense
interest Of good roads" on level with other
no more real public utilities; in word, when
they demand their indisputaple right to have
the public highways cared for by the Nation
and the State, the good roads" problem will
have been finally and rightfully solYed.