Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-07-27
ROADS AND EDUCATION.
Consolidation of School Districts De- pendent on the Character of
 the Highways.

One of the most important problems for our rural communities has been how best to secure the benefits Of Q graded school system so as to enable the farmer tO give his children instruction in the higher branches of learning without leaving the farm. The writer believes that the policy of consolidation and transportation of pupils furnishes so- luton of the problem if the policy can be perfected. The next and most impor- tant question is: how can this De done: in what way. and after what prepara- tion, can perfect system be estab- lished or made possible of establish ment? We are firmly of the opinion . that the system of eduraiion outlined and which means so much for the coun- try will never be perfected and become hxed policy until there is national aid in the construction of good wagon roads, say along the line of bills intro duced in the house of representatives by Hon. W. P. Brownlow. of Tennessee. and in senate by Mir Latimer. of South Carolina. In hearings on the good-roads subject before the senate committee on agriculture il was shown that Of all the roads in the United State: there are only per cent. good. 10 per cent fairly passable and s per cent. bad: that is, stallers of teams in wet weather. and the creators of insurerable dust storms in dry weather. Fifteen per cent are roads. the remainder mere rights-of- way"
 While striving after the best results in its own particular field and studiously seeking Improvements under functions that belong to ii alone. that very impor- tant branch of the public service known as the bureau of education has. in its investigations, gathered practical facts and detailed statistics that furnish ire futable argument in favor of national aid for good roads. because no govern ment can prosper save by the enlighten- ment of it's people. President Roosevelt. in speech al st Louis in 1903. declared that the difference between the semi barbarism Of the middle ages and the civilization which succeeded it was the difference between poor and good means of communication. On BedIoe's IsIsni in New York narbor stands Liberty En- Tightening the World. Co ye into all the earth and preach the Gospel 10 every creature means nov. as when first communicated to man. that the high ways and byvsys furnish fruitful field for Cody work Following the con- struc'ion of good roads civilization e1- pands. education increases and Chris tianity videns and broadens it's field of operation. But education is not possible and Christianity is retarded where sehoolhouses cannot be reached. and where the highways are not at all sea sons passable No f1ed policy of con- solidated schools vill prevail until there is sys,emaiizsd construction of wagon roads. and no fired policy of road con struetion is possible errep- by federal cooperation vith the s,stes and the po- litical divisions thereof.
 
 primary means Of transportation ana communication The railroads have their uses. and they are important. baf people do 10; use them 10 reach church houses and school houses Chris ian civilization and education csll for tef- ter means Of propagation. Public school work goes hand Ia hand with the sprez q Of religion. lt needs no argument t1 shov that every church interest srl every school interest is closely eourec1s with the orsstion of public road in- provsusnt thro1gtouf fhe United States We are Christian nation an vesre sa educational people The very life Of the republic depends upon the In- fueuce of ths churcbs@ and the sehooIs for thss. are the certain promoters or hish ideals 10 citizenship and the freul estors of that tn. spirit of rsfrfot fsrr which enables good Eovsrr1r1t and sus- tsins |; phsrevsr established. IT thsrs zers 10 otssr reasons Thy the govern menf should st orce sdor- and put into prsctice sood-rczts rolirT iu ooope-s tion rf;h the states. if shoald do % la support of p8hIic sd1czffor and the spread of the Christian religion.
 We rspezt tasf the Tnifsd s-srss b. rsas Of edgssriou- rhils -orkinz h fts orn ps-zicslzr tei5 has supplied one os the Eos, fo-cefzl srssnsnts yst pre- scented in favor of national aid b good ~l- --z . .--rl -r- TsE- =-, -~- e-erT thu-rh srt school to1rnsi ia tae land take sy the ogsstion and fisczss v for the bensef of ;tsc.z in rtica thsr are ezsszss