The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1904-05-26

NON highways and the editorial
comments upon IT, II is
| manifestiy true that the public high
ways. Ike public educa ton, 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 as an agreeable
announcement, too is the fact that the
National Grange, at its recent annual
session, adopted resolutions favorlng
the bill. l certainly hope the various
State oranges will follow the Tribune
Farmers suggestions, and adopt strong
resolutions favoring the BILL This will
have two-fold effect 1t will call the
attention Of the members of the order
to the bill and its many advantages,
drawing out their support, and it will
cause its favorable consideration by
the members of Congress
There is also a great need Of educa-
tion among the people as to the advan.
tages to be secured by good roads.
This lack OF true appreciat ton OF the
value Of good roads to the people of
the farms. and of the rural communf-
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
nv.
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
nave. 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 in its raw form or as q
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 if we could see the earnings
or the carria ges, of the materials thew
handle, over our country roads care.
fully computed and placed alongside Of
them. they would dwindle into insig.
nifcance in comparison.
The value Of our farm lands is large
" dependent upon their nearness to
markets or shipping points, and when.
ever any time is saved in the transpor.
tatlon of their products by the i'm
provement of the highways, they are
placed practically that much nearer the
Indeed, there are deeper, more potent
reasons for generalzihg our system of
road building and placing it under one
mead. The country home with its
poSs and girls, with it's purifying and
refining influences. with it's means of
aHord1ng remunerative occupation for
the young. is the standard of excellence
and the bulwark of safety for our |
AS our highways are i'm
proved, as the means of communica-
non 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
I'll the industrial resources of the
Yes, push along the Brown.
oW bill. and at the same time set in
notion the ball that shall awaken and
,nthuse the people as it goes, so that
When the bill becomes a law there
hall be readiness to take full advan-
age of its provisions-B. Walker Nc.
>een. of Freyburg, Me-, in the New
FORK Tribune.