The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1904-03-10
GOOD ROADS QUESTION.
Thoushtsal People Everwkese Agpss
That II Hears an Important Re-
1atiOn TO National Life.

=
The following Communication to the
president signed by more than 60 Of
the prominent men Of the state Of
Maryland. comprising county. school
and road commissioners, touches upon
some vital points In the problem Of
road improvement: The elements
that have hitherto constituted the
American race which has made our,
country great are the ones most likely
to keep II great. To leave the fruit,
Of our toll to be enjoyed By our chill
dren's children is more pleasing PROS;
pect than to look forward to time
when they shall vanish from the
homes We created and their places be-
taken by the progeny Of those who
may come into the house after we
have swept and garnished It. Now,
large families are bred in the country.
The city kills them. II has been
proved that Ave generations Of city
life sufiice to wipe out any family that
receives no new infusion Of country
blood. We therefore applaud your
statement that IL is a good thing to
encourage in every way any tendency
to check an unhealthy flow from the
country to the city To that end you
point out the most effectual means:
No one thing can do so much to Offset
the tendency toward an unhealthy
trend from the country into the city
as the making and keeping Of good
roads But why are country roads
bad? Because the entire burden Of
building and repairing them has in
most cases been thrown on the farm
ers, whose means are not sufficient for
the task. This is unjust. Good roads
benefit not only the farmer who hauls
his produce over them. but also the
city to which II is hauled. Every large
city far exceeds In wealth the country
area which supplies It with food and
which In turn is supplied by It with
manufactured goods; yet the poorer OF
the two partners, city and country
has to bear the expense OF keeping up
the highways Of communication be-
tween them. What can be more evi.
dent than that the cost Of a public
necessity should be shared alike BY
those who profit by Il? Above all, the
paramount need for large families is 9
national need. and hence every section
and every class Of the nation is inter.
ested In having prolific families kept
prolific by inducing them to stay or
the farms. Under an equitable sys
tenn. therefore, the state and the nation
must cooperate with the country in the
care Of roads This principle Is EN-.
bodied In the Brownlow bill, which
provides that the national government
Is to bear a portion Of the expense o.
road Improvement. It is certain tina
this aid, instead Of lessening, vii
greatly increase the amount whicl
farmers spend for roads, since the.
can get increased aid only by increas
Ing their own expenditure Moreover
q given amount Of money spent unde
this system Of cooperation will pro
duce far greater results, since 1t will
be devoted In large sums to perma
nent Improvement under expert direc
ton, instead Of being wasted by mex
perienced men in annual patchwork
annually swept into the bitches.
There can be no question that, as her
pointed out and as stated by the pres
ident In bis message to congress, tn
road question bears an important re
latfon to our national life. Our grade,
school system and our free rural mai
delivery have undoubtedly come t
stay. In no other way can the rura
population be given the educationa
advantages now enjoyed by the citie
or be supplied with proper means O
communication. Their rights to bot
are unquestionable and their main
tenance will necessitate better roads,
Prairie Farmer.