Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1903-04-30
GOOD ROADS AGITATION.
interest In This Important Question
Necessary.

Int the state. The rapid growth of
he state particularly in the farming
ections is arousing public opinion to
he Importance and necessity of TAX
he immediate steps for Improvement
the highways. The widespread ex-
y ent of the good roads" agitation Is
Zen from the earnestness with which
eme sister states are graphing with
HE question: national convention
St Louis and the state convention
e allied by the governor of Iowa. Gov.
#erried in thoroughly imbued with the
mportance of taking some action 10
his state In his message to the legis-
4 Iature he said:
M Charles Sumner once said: "The
toad and schoolmaster are the two
host important agents in advancing
Ia utilization" In a message to con-
kress President Mckinley urged tho
importance of good roads, saying:
|NThere is a widespread interest in the
Improvement of our public highways
"a the present time and the depart
4nent of agriculture is cooperating
NTH the people in each locality IN
making the best possible roads" Peo-
Bic in each locality In making the best
" bossible roads," People generally are
beginning to realize that good roads
hot only have a positive money value
to the farmers and to the towns peo-
IS lie. but a social and moral value by
Virtue Of the convenience, comfort and
&efning influences which good roads
&iiffuse throughout the rural regions,
Goods roads, like good streets, make
habitations along them desirable.
lood roads economic time and force
I'm transportation of products. Good
hoads reduce the wear and tear Oh
Eahorses and wagons. A farm twenty
niles from town, on good road, is
6*for all practical purposes no farther
A|Sfrom market than another farm ten
iniles distant on a poor road. Good
$Ssroads raise the value of farm lands
land the products OF the farm. 1t ha
Nheen carefully estimated that SO per
cent of the tonnage handled by railroad
steamboat or express must be carried
LIN a wagon over highway. 1t is evil
dent that the problem of good roads
while of primary Importance to the
Farmer Is one of tremendous import
n lance to the general public. This fact
has been recently recognized by more
# than half dozen states where crude
" laws and Anticipated systems of high
IS way improvement have been sup
planted with highway commissioners
having competent jurisdictions and
Exercising intelligent supervision over
: road affairs.
The Importance of this subject has
81 been emphasized by the establishment
{ of rural free mail delivery "a service
which President Roosevelt says ''is
M no longer in the experimental stage;
M it has become fixed policy" Its IS
q justified" says the president, both by
# the financial results and by the prac-
81 teal dement's to our rural population;
n 1t brings the men who live on the soil
N into closer relations with the active
q business world; 1t keeps the farmer In
81 daily touch with the markets; 1t is A
81 potential educational force; 1t en-
IA hances the value of farm property,
N makes farm life faspleasanter and less
Il isolated and will do much to check the
NJ undesirable current from country TO
81 city" The daily newspaper with the
market reports is no longer stranger
" in the home OF the farmer favored
I'll with free mail delivery. But these
modern advantages can only be OBJ
tanned through system OF good roads.
n 1t is an established rule of the post
office department that the establish
n ment of good roads is a prerequisite
n of the establishment of rural free de-
a livery service" The great obstacle In
N the way of free rural mail routes is the
absence of roads over which carriers
n can cover sufficient territory In given
8 time with regularity at all seasons u
the year.
In this as well as I'm nearly every
other respect, our state Is as fortu-
n nately situated as perhaps any other
state In the union Here good roads
can be made at small expense. what
we need is up-to-date methods. In
n this connection I would recommend
Il the abolition OF the primevai custom
B Of working out" the poll and road tax
This custom originated at time when
money was scarce and the scattered
4 pioneers were desperately in need VI
some kind of trail through the VIII
II derness. The we'll known farce or
"A working out the road taxes has been
we'll expressed by Sam Walter Foss IN
his recollections of his boyhood on the
q farm:
When We Work Our Tax Out
Oh, our life was tough and fearful, ana
its toll was often fearful. -,
And often we grew faint beneatn ths
load
But there came glad vacation, and
sweet alienation ,,. IN
When we used to work our tax out on
4 the road. -
When we used to work our tax out, then
we felt the joys OF leisure,
And we felt no more the prick OF
labor's goad;
There we shared the golden treasure Oh
sweet rest in fullest measure
When we used to work our tax out on
the road.
When we useS to work our tax out C1 1
let the bottom facts ouD.
We had somnolent contentment and
repose:
With no toll or work 10 cumber US, our
rest was sweet and slumberous'
And In deep delicious dreaming ana we
doze
Ire drowsiness OF languid rest DER every