Arizona republican., 1904-01-11
ARIZONA. IAN. II laO4.
Gooa ROa6s.

Prom the earliest civilized times u7-
 til ,hg present there has been a clan1- Qr for good roads. The first were gem
 orally built for military purposes. At
 first though; the reasons why there
 should be good roads. though pow are not very numerous. But they are
 really more numerous than they se ID Go be- The gentlemen in congress he q cd log Mir Browlow. O. Tenncss-e. are regularly issuing literature on the sub ject of thorooghfa'es and in an article received at this ofice yesterday morn
 ing tbere is offered the following foIu.
 riou of a social problem which has for
 years grown more and more puzEling:
 NO tendency Of modern times has CIused SO much Uneas.ness in the ID nds of social philosophers and reformc-y as the drift or population from the rural districts Co the cities. That this ten
 dcp7y is deplorablc Is admitted on all hands. but there is 70 general agr- e. mcnt as to what should be done to dis
 courage it Recently. however. public speakers and writers have been insiss-
 ing that the way to keep the bright
 young men and women on the farms is
 Co ameiiorate the conditions of coun- fry life. The exJe- sion Of telephone
 lines into the country and the rural
 free mail delivery are steps m that di- yccUSn. But the general improvement oF FM- ~rtfH.--- rr.arr ,,-,,,rF b. . F-- Taoys important -top. Bad roads do mcvs Jhsu anything else to p-omo.s igruraHcs. irolstion. discoura cement. : aHi iiszust among the country peop c Good s0sds promote attendance at sehbal and tlc church and they make
 oss .tI GSthv.irEs literary societies. Gra- fna'ie er'-s stainmeuts. and clubs and
 L5AFs meetings possible during the win ssf aod spring With bad roads the 1afastSr is compelled Co hibernate. so- cigllF. Ger 'threc.o- four months fn the
 ycsf. With good roads these months btco~r the most pleasant and in some respects the most profitable .r the year. !
 "Th- improyenent of the country roads is hoa. recognized as one Of tho sreatess questions before the American
 ruuir; and it is coming to be recog- nizct fv % qU. stion which concerns rotl merely tFS rural population. but the whole Tsotl' Many public men have declared their conviction that road im- provemsn' Co @ proper subject for na- t!onal ss ~ell as state legislation.
 Among che reasons offered in suppor, of this view are the following.
 .FiTsi The improvement Of the highways is too -reat.a burden for the
 rural population to bear alone. If left Co them Che problem will never be solved.
 Second The improvement og the reads would benefit all classes through out the entire country hence. the whole -eogla should share in the necessary ev-or7c.
 Third. The improvement Of the rosds 1F necessary Co the extension of the Fvyd free delivery system; ard congress is authorized by the constltu- tioa ,O establish pogt-road7'
 7Fouyih. The improvement of .ths roads is certainly os dt go subject gor
 national legislation as improvement of rive,s and harbors. . "Hills are now before both houses og coEEress providing for an appropriation of t~ suty-four million dollars to be us-i during the neT- three years az a fsrt fot national aid to road improve "snl. The fate of these bills depends largely upon thc attitude of the farmers oH thr question. Gt they would unit 10 8 strong dem1nd for national ai4, it N.oUh speedily become an accomplish .'j faot" One Of these bills ~iII occupy a strs 6f the time Of the senate this WSrk.
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