The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1904-05-25

q q Farmer OF the BrOwniow
bill for the Improvement of
WON highways and the editorial
comments upon 1t. 1t is
manifestly true that the public high.
ways. like public education, should be
maintained by the State, for the vel
fare OF the State is largely dependent
upon the intelligence OF Its people. and
the ease of communication created by
good roads. Coming rs an agreeable
announcement, too, is the fact that the
National Grange, ut its recent annual
session. adopted resolutions favorlng
the bill. | certainly hope the various
State oranges will follow the Tribune
Farmers suggestions. and adopt strong
resolutions favoring the bill. This will
have n two-fod effect. II will call the
| attention of the members of the order
to the bill and its many advantages,
drawing out their support, and II will
cause its favorable consideration by
the members of Congress.
There Is also a great need of educa-
ton among the people as to the advan.
tages to be secured by good roads.
| This lack Of true appreciation of the
value of good roads to the people OF
the farms. and of the rural commune
ties. has hindered favorable legislation
in the East. A law recently passed
by the Maine Legislature affording
State aid to towns in building perma-
nent roads has not been taken advan-
tage of by many of the towns that
would be much benefited by such
roads. DIR. Jordan once said that we
often heard people say they could not
afford this thing or that thing. but that
he had always noticed that what people
really wanted they could afford to
have. So. as soon as our country peO-
pie really want good roads. there will
be no objections to the raising OF lib
eral sums of money to secure them.
| 1t is not often considered that every
article produced for the markets of the
world, either I'm its raw form or ms a
finished product, is transported over
the public highways. We see reports
OF the enormous earnings of the rail-
ways Of the country and wonder at
them. but II we could see the earnings
OF the carriages. Of the materials they
handle. over our country roads care
fully computed and placed alongside of
them, they would dwindle into insig.
nificance In comparison.
The value Of our farm lands IL large.
ly dependent upon their nearness to
markets or shipping points. and when
ever any time is saved In the Transport
tation of their products by the i'm
provement of the highways. they are
placed practically that much nearer the
market.
Indeed. there are deeper, more potent.
reasons for generallzing our system of
road building and placing It under one
head. The country home. with its
boys and girls. with its purifying and
refining influences. with its means Of
ahording remunerative occupation for
the young. is the standard of excellence
and the bulwark of safety for our
country. As our highwaysOare i'm
proved. as the means of communicn.
ton are made better, the country
homes will increase. they will resound
more than ever to the voices of happy
childhood and the hum of that creative
industry which Is at the foundation Of
all the Industrial resources OF the
country. Yes, push along the Brown
low bill. and Mt the same time set in
motion the ball that shall awaken and
enthuse the people as 1t goes, so that
when the bill becomes law there
shall be readiness to take full advan-
tage of its provisions.-B. Walker Me-
Keen. of Freyburg. Me-, in the New
York Tribune.