The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1904-04-15
GOOD ROADS.

y We copy, to day, for the bene
= fit of all our readers the follow
q ing extract from the address OF
7 Col. J. B. Killebrew, of Nashville
Tenn, before the Good Roads
Association, at it's session, at New
Orleans on the 7th inst. We dc
not think that any more impor-
tant question. is before the south.
ern farmer, at this time, than that
of good roads. He is certainly
vitally interested in this move.
ment and should read and digest
all the literature on the subject
that ne can find. The people of
all sections are waking up to the
Importance of bettering the pub
lic highways and they should
through concerted action make
reasonable demands upon the
general government for aid In i'm
! proving them. The railroads and
canals, rivers and harbors and
telegraph lines have all received
liberal aid from the government
and the people have paid the taxes
thus appropriated. Every great
exhibition that has been held in
our large cities has received aid
from the government, which in
every instance, we believe, has
not been returned. We ask care
ful perusal Of the following aud
regret that we are not able to
print Col. Klllebrews entire speech.
Why is it that people of the
United States, so iudefatigable in
the futherance Of all material ends
and so progressive IN all the Up
pliances that make life comfortable
and happy, have done comparative
ly nothing to Improve the country
roads. Most of the roads are in
the same condition ia which they
were hundred years ngo. They
involve an annual outlay for the
transporting of farm products
greater than Is paid tn the rail
roai or to- the sttauship lines.
What else in the long list of hu-
man concerns is of more lasting
Importance to the great mass of
people than good roads9 Rail
roads make good roads d greater
'lnecessity.
The chief reason why our coun-
try roads have not felt the emergi-
zing influences cf the age and have
been neglected is the want of cou
cert of action among the people
of the country districts. They can
not realize their demands upon
the State Treasurer, and they have
made none for nearly TWO genera
tions upon the National Treasurer
for aid III this work. They have
received nothing, because they
have asked for nothing. A great
public want, great public neces
sity has gone on from year to year,
from generation to generation from
century to century, because the
tillers of the soil have not moved
with all their concentrated, i'm
measurable and irresistible power
to bring about what they so much
desire. Railroad companies have
importuned congress aud received
aid; steamship and steamboat i'll
terests have used the magic words,
"open seasane, to unlock III
their behalf, for the improvement
of the rivers, the National Treas
ury, and great streams Of gold
have flowed out for their benefit as
we'll as for the benefit of the whole
country. Rivers have been made
navigable, great lakes have been
Joined by canals, harbors all along
our coast have been improved,
| UuU lIlt ldI lucIS HoNC UOOu VuAOO
almost beyond enduranc@-to
haul through mud and slime and
slush and water the materials for
freight that make the posperlty OF
the railroads, the canals and the
steamship lines.
RAILROADS HAVE RECEIVED
1877 10000 acres of the public do
main, and have had the credit OF
the Government for hundreds OF
mcliions of dollars in aid of their
construction.
/ In twenty-five years the appro-
priations to rivers and harbors
have been $3.50, 100000. For the
year 1908 this appropriation
amounted to $32, $40, ,199. The far
mers have helped every line of bu
slness. Let these now help the far
mers.
BRIDGE NOTICE.
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI.