Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1905-05-11
HOW rs TIE sArnM
Merchant 10 Be Benefited by GOOD
Roads.

written by F. A. Virgins, and Read
Before the Business Mems League)
There is little need Of arguing a
question on which there is such a uni.
versal unanimity of opinion among all
classes of people, but the following sug.
gestion occurs to the writer as worthy
Of passing notice.
It is acknowledged that in an agri-
cultural community, the interests of
the merchant and the farmer are close
| ly interviewer, as, in final analysis,
we must get back to Mother Earth and
the man who tills the soil for the pro.
duets thereof, hence anything that ben.
efits or enriches him, or makes him a
more intelligent and prosperous farmer
helps the merchant. =. It is therefore
only necessary in considering this ques.
tion, OF prove wherein the tiller Of the
soil is benefited.
First, with network Of good roads
in n given community, the farmer is
Independent of the conditions that
usually prevail where the hauling sea.
son is confined to the harvest season,
for he can transport his products to
market when the price suits him, rather
than being compelled TO accept what
the broker or warehouseman gives him
at harvest time. Conversely, the price
for grain and other similar commodities
is much more stable, once the farmer Is
enabled TO make deliveries at any
time.
Here we have then a direct cash
profit to the farmer for good roads, all
of which enables him to purchase more
literally from his merchant.
Then, again, the same good road en-
ablcs him TO often more than double
his load, which in turn reduces by one.
half the expense Of marketing his pro.
duet, leaving him with another profit
to spend with his merchant, or to put
back on to his place in form Of i'm.
provcments. So much for the purely
commercial side Of the subject.
From the social standpoint, at first
glance, there might seem to be nothing
worth considering, but let us see. All
merchants agree that the more intelli.
gent and well read their patrons are,
the better class Of goods they demand,
ind the more satisfactory and profta.
Bile their patronage becomes. Good
roads enable the country neighborhoods
to maintain schools during the entire
winter season instead Of omitting three
or four months at time when boys
and girls can best be spared. They
,lso permit Of and encourage the social
gathering in the form Of literary so.
'iety, debating or reading clubs.
Grange meetings. farmers Institutes,
lodges, church and Sabbath schools,
all Of which tend to bring the people
together in friendly intercourse, raise
the standard Of intelligence promote
discussions of better and more profit
able methods Of agriculture, dairying,
and everything that enters into their
daily occupations.
Good roads also enable the farmer to
occasionally get into the city for an
evening in the lodge, tho church, the
entertainment, or the convention,
brushing up against his local merchant
in social way, and, becoming better
acquainted thereby, finds in his mer.
chant a many times real friend. Good
roads encourage the extension of the
rural mail service which permits the
farmer TO take the daily paper, and
this in turn makes him a more wide
awake and aggressive citizen, up 20
date in social, political and advertis
ing news, the latter Of timely interest
TO the Goth century merchant. With
his daily paper TO peruse after supper
he ceases TO pore over the glittering
descriptions Of furniture clothing,
hardware implements, fishing tackle
and monographs in Montgomery
Ward, Sears Roebuek, or other nam
moth catalogues, and pins his faith TO
the statements Of his local merchant,
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