The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1905-09-09

lex M DcII "A. L opc, III AA"ip'A
Weekly. For many years
we have expended liberal sums OF
| money for the bettelment Of rivers and
harbors, and the results accomplished
are cOmmendablc but we must not lose
sight of the fact that Il great majority
Of the people live away from the coasts
and waterways, in regions where the
necessity for good highways is i'm.
perative.
In many cases these people need the
deal more than those dwelling nearer
the seaboard or on streams that TEEN
with industry The highways are the
natural feeders to railways, and i'm
provements OH them materially i'll
crease both interstate and international
commerce. Ii our Government has
seen fit to be liberal In river and har-
Dor work, it is reasonable to expect
that the building and maintenance of
public highways must demand the
pendcncy here which cannot be over
looked by those who analyZc this lucS-
ton Alright.
1t has long been mootcd question as
to what is the best method of raising
funds for the construction of public
highways. but know of 10 better way
than for State and Federal Government
to issue special bonds for the purpose.
Three per cent. fifty year bonds Of this
kind would find an immediate market,
and they could he paid by sinking
fund of two per cent. per annum,
which would mean that there would be
charged against this indebtedness
five per cent. per annum to be pro-
vided for by taxation. Such bonds
could be issued from time to time as
the work progressed, SO that funds
would always be available up to the
limit Of the bonded Indebtedness agreed
upon.
There is a trait in American charac-
ter which makes us ultra conservative
on some issues, especially where long
established custom causes us to travel
in ruts SO deep that it is difficult to
leave them.
For years the inhabitants of the rural
districts of our country deceived them
selves in believing that the best, and
by that is meant the cheapest, way to
pay Il road tax was to work it out by
4 definite quota of days labor on the
highways. 1t took far reaching and
aggressive educational campaign to
persuade them that the old method of
road building and repair was unneces-
sarily costly and thoroughly ineffec-
tual. Nor was this reformation well
started until some communities had
made practical demonstration Of the
actual value of good highways to those
who depend on the soil for living.
In working out his road tax the
farmer chung to the idea that q dollar
saved was as good as dollar earned,
and at the same time he lost sight of
the truism that it is good business
policy to invest dollar which will
bring back two. Once the farmer was
shown by object lessons that good high
" oy ., pooSouiC INT scoI IOuuu, were
essential to profitable handling of
arm products, he freely expressed as
at having been fooled by
he methods inherited from his an
,estOrs.
This educational work, which in its |
inception called for great energy and
he liberal expenditure of time and
money, was later on helped by both |
State and Federal Government. An
was made by Congress |
or the purpose Of collecting and dis |
information on road build |
ng and repair, road materials and |
'ther kindred topics. AS a result the |
armers learned that to build roads
properly, though apparently expensive,
vas in reality an economic measure.
hey were led to see that the highways
we're natural feeders of railways, and
hat it was as much Of a detriment to
ave produce snOwbound or mudbound
n the farm as to have freight longest.
d on the railroad. They comprehend
d the difference in cost between haul.
lg a ton mile on good and bad roads.
nd they realized, too, that with pass.
bic roads the year round the hauling
station and other shipping points
'uld be done to advantage out Of sea.
N when draft animals were not need
for blowing or harvesting.
These few paragraphs wifi indicate
outline the manner in which the
eat reform was started by agitation
I'd fostered by education until the
lestion is not, "Shall we have gooc
ads" but How can we best secure
ID maintain them?"