The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-08-04
VALUE OF GOOD ROADS.
They Help Farmers and Develop u
Great Nation.


Great Nation.
National aid to highway construction
as plain, practical business PROPOSE
ton is, in my opinion, paramount to
any question that now presents or
that can possibly be suggested, be-
cause geo. roads would do more for
the country than any other one thing
that Gamble named or any dozen or
more things combined, says w. p.
Brownlow, congressman from Tonnes
see. in Golfers Weekly.
There is a feature of this question
which persons accustomed to thor
oughness in every other line of
thought seem to entirely overlook, es-
pecially dwellers in towns and cities.
Ii the common roads of the country
were brought to condition that
would enable farmers to market their
products at all seasons of the year
the cost of living in town and city
would be greatly lessened and iiscon-
tent among laboring people and the
operatives of industrial concerns
would largely decrease, if it did not
entirely disappear. Why and how?
Present road conditions compel
farmers to rush their products to mar
ket as soon as harvested, when the
roads are at their best, since by wait
ing a convenient time they may not
get there at all because of bad roads.
This naturally cOngests the market,
forcing low prices, to the great detri-
ment of the producer and without APP
preciable benefit to the consumer, be-
cause the average family in town or
city buys only in small quantities at
one time, say days or weeks sup
ply. What is the result?
The Spectator, finding prices low
and knowing that in little while the
bad roads season will be on, when
competing products will be kept from
the trade centers, buys up the surplus
and stores it away for the day of nee
essity when he can demand and re-
ceive his own price for his holdings
the stuff for which men toll, which
they are compelled to have at what
ever cost.
And when the citizen in a tOwn-the
mechanic and operative of the shops
and factories-is forced in winter and
spring to pay exorbitant prices for
those articles of household necessity,
which went begging for buyers at low
prices the preceding fall he figures the
increased cost of living in comparison
and grows restless and disconnected
and is easily led into strikes and other
labor disturbances that are SO disas-
trous to the business of the country
and SO prolific of other hurtful conse-
.quences. This of course is not all that
enters into strike causes, but it con-
tributes full share
The prices of foodstuffs from the
farm would be always at decent liv-
ing level to all concerned IL the coun-
try had Systematically improved high
ways over which farmers could travel
to market any day in the year. These
farmers would then realize better
prizes for their products than they
now do, at less cost for marketing and
still be able to sell to all classes of
consumers at lower prices than are
forced by spectators in the bad roads
season.
While it is undeniable that the in
fiuence Of public schools, the press,
the pulpit and other institutions
marks the progress of civilization, yet
all these are more or less dependent
upon the facilities of intercourse be-
tweeH lHe people. HOOu fOduS through
the country would 10 much to relieve
the congestion of population in great
cities, and thus the social fabric would
be strengthened, because rural life is
conducive to the highest moral STAN
dards. whereas in crowded city tene.
ments vice runs riot with it's malign
influence.
Bad roads in the United States cost
the producing people $1,50O.000 every
twenty-four hours. This drain is fear
full. 1t is deadening the national life
and is national disgrace. Good roads
develop good people. The wagon roads
are the highways along which civiliza-
ton and development move.
Growing Winter Wheat.
The Valley CITY Alliance has the fol.