East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-05-16
COL. R. ". RICHARDSON ON Good ROADS

merchandise from the store, and the
output from the factory and shop.
They destroy the isolation Of the farm
and ranch bring daily mail and cur
rent literature to the rural home.
They obliterate the imaginary boun-
dary between city and country; allay
prejudice and foster and encourage
patriotic home sentiment. They have
no time tables or schedules; always
running, always on time. for the
equal, adequate service of all people,
of all ages, all kinds and all climes,
and whatever condition of life. II
you would lay the foundation of sub
stantial prosperity and development
for yourselves, your families, your
home. your community, your town,
your state and your country, build
roads, permanent public roads.
Ruin in Bad Roads
l have, in general way, pointed
out to you the advantages of good
roads. 1t would be useless to con-
sumo time in telling you the disad-
vantages of bad roads. l have no
doubt you are familiar with this side
of the question, as are the people in
many parts of the United States. l
was reading the other day of some
large mining and lumber company in
this state, that was compelled to en-
tirely suspend operations on account
of the bad condition of the roads. A
few seasons ago, it was impossible for
people living on several of the main
roads leading out from the capital
city of Washington to get i'm or out
of the city. on account of their i'm
passable condition, and, within the
city itself, on some of the outlying
streets, and not so far from the busi-
ness center, buildings were allowed
to burn because the fire engines could
not be gotten out to the fire plugs
on account of the mud. All over the
Mississippi valley and portions of the
south and east, all kinds of business
suffer from mud blockades.
We have been so busy in other lines
/ of progress that we have neglected
/ the common road. But 1 believe, my
/ friends, that 1 can bring you tidings
/ of a new era. There is a great agi.
/ tation on this subject throughout the
| length and breadth of the country
The National Good Roads association
and the Division Department of Agri.
culture United States government
/ have made campaigns in, many sec
tions of the country. Four great ma
tional conventions have been held II
the past four years, in the interest o.
this internal improvement. Some O.
our greatest statesmen, officials anC
leaders of great industrial systems
have given their voice and support t
the movement in these conventions
President Roosevelt and the Hon
William Jennings Bryan addressed
the convention at st. Louis. Mem
bers of the cabinet, the senate ant
house of representatives, governors o
states, scientific engineers, both for
eign and domestic, have contributed
TO its success. Great railway system
have co-operated by furnishing spe
cial trains, which were equipped b.
large road machinery companies Will
the latest, up-to-date, labor -savini
machinery and expert operators
which. under direction of the Nationa
| Good Roads association, and cooper
alton of the government division, Wis
tied central points along the. grea
systems, constructing sections of OBJ
ject lesson roads, and holding loca
convention or institutes, infusint
knowledge and creating sentiment il
favor of this necessary Improvement
The results have been more than sat
isfactory. A careful compilation
shows that in three of the SoutherI
states, visited by one of the grea
trains. more than $3.400.000 is beint
expended at this time in permanen
road improvement. This amount o
money has been voted in these sew
eral states by the city or county
either by appropriation, direct tax O.
the issuance of bonds. This is traced
as a direct result of the campaign in
augurated for road improvement.