The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1906-07-26
Public Roads and immigration.

resent time 6AGICm0J
ihe subject of immigration and. through
" several departments, 10 making con-
.;derable effort to bring certain classes
= European immigrants into tho State.
Maux inducements have been circulated
broad for those seeking desirable and
~,ormanent homes, such as its excellent
Innate, which should be ~attractive& 10
uany from the southern part OF Europe:
is thousands of acres of fertile land
that can be obtained very cheaply and
IN very reasonable terms; the large
aomand oraaherwWhkeh assAresthei
easily obtaining employment nthe
~neighborhood Of their homes the year
around and at good wages, this demand
for labor including farmers, household
servants, miners, merchanics and tie
most skilled workmen.
1t is not the desire of the State to
simply obtain an lnfnxspf bbor, but to
obtain an influx of home seekers t be-
come citizens of the State and at the
same time furnish the kind of labor that
is needed. We desire the better class
of home seekers and these will want and
demand school facilities for their child
rem and good roads TO connect them
with town and railroad. The class of
European immigrants thatare desired
In North Carolina have been accustom-
ed in their own country to excellent
roads and it is natural and to be expect
cd that q section Of country that 10 ira
versed by good roads connecting the
various farming districts with markets
and prowide easy Meanpsqf~ inte-eanAPe
between different neighbdFbooda vi.
be more attractive thaa those districss
in wbich the roads are po,r add ~ home
times Of the year almost impassable.
We no: only want European immi
orants. We want 70 attract American
from other sections Of the United states
tn Il q South to invest in our farm lands,
our ~waterpowersa ard to build up manu-
featuring industries. Good roads are
of vital importance to these classes OF
men. A man examining 9 farm district
with the intention of investing in afarn,
will be more favorSbly impressed with
the district if he can be driven 70 his
destination over q good road 30 that his
entire attention can be given to the
farm lands that he is passing. On the
other hand, if the road is poor raS So
many of our North carolina roads are
at the present time so that his attention
is constantly being caltedto the road
BY reason Of holes, ruts, stones aud the
general inconvenience OF the road over
which he is obliged to 60, he has little
thought for the beauties OF the country
or the value OF the farming land and
his chief desire Is to get back to th'
city and railroad. There is no doubt
but hundreds and even thousands o.
good farms in North Carolina remain
wholly or partially uncultivated and
u~nproductive on account Of the YER!
poor condition of the roads connecting
them with town and market.
If the railroads consider it necessar!
to improve their road beds and thef
rolling stock in order to build up
certain section of the country and spenC
large sums advertising the railroad
facilities of the section in their attempt
to induce labor and capital to focat
there, how much more important tina
the counties and towns should improv
their public roads, making them as ia
-ozsL1o -aooolo~ rnodc Qn6 thu
offer the strongest inducements TO
capital and labor to invest in their dis
tricts.
There Is a certain class of immigrant
that would probably pay little or no at
tention to the roads in the, district
where they might settle; but is this tn
class of immigrants that North Carolin
desires to have located within he
borders? We can say emphatically, no
But we do desire those immigrants VIII
will want and demand good roads, VIII
will take a pridein keepingthese road
who will become public spirited me
and instead of making the roads dumf
ing grounds for waste materials of q
kinds, clogging the bitches with trasl
stones, brush, ETC.. will take pride
keeping the roads where they pa
their farms clean, grass and weeds Gu
and remove waste material instead
dumping it into the roads.
The counties that are attractingtt
most capital and labor are those
which the roads are in the best cond
ton. These counties will continue
derive the most benefit from any move
ments that are made for bringing in
migrants into North Carolina. Goo
county roads indicate a prosperous coul
ty and this is we'll illustrated in Mort
Carolina where the richer, more pr
gressive and more liberal counties a
those which have spent a great deal
money in building good and permanel
-,l1;a ~oadc