The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-10-02
GOOD ROADS voR ThE NEW
6TATG.

l reCted 10 establish department OF
hlrhVays. and shall have the power
20 create Improvement districts and
provide .or building and maintaining
public roads and NAV provide for the
utilization Of convict and punitive Ia.
Dor thereon.
sec . The state Of oklahoma here.
b. accepts all reservations and lands
Tor public highways made under any
grant agreement. treaty or act of
congress Provided. This section
| shall not Be construed 10 prejudice
/ the vested rights Of any tribe. ailot,ee
or other person TO any such land
l1.EVEES. DRAINS AND DlTCHES.
sec. 3. The legislature shall have
power and shall provide Tor system
of leyees. drains and ditches In this
state when deemed eXpedient and
provide for a system OF taxation OF
the lands affected " benefited by
such leyees. drains and ditches and IT,
riga,on. or on crops produced on such
land. to discharge such bonded intcoi-
,dness or expenses necessarily incur
red IN the establishment OF such I'M
proyements. and ~ provide for The
issuance OF bonds By the owners or
lessees Of the lands benefited or az
tected by such leyees. drains. diiches
or irrigation.
The old methods OF building roads
has proven complete failure in
every state IN the union and the peo.
pie OF this new state must not fall
into the old ruts. We believe every
municipality and county should own
and operate its own road making ma
chinery. Boards OF Trade and Com
mercial organizations. Labor anC
farmers unions are olamoring ioi
lower freight rates We. to grea
extent can remedy this evil by be
. ginning at home.
: We clip the following from an eS
change. which We believe will appl.
, TO our own vicinity:
The Texas Farmers Union ask
. the legislature 10 lower freight rates
probably most similar bodies tn
4, -ountry over would do the sam
- thing II the subject were brough
=, before them 1t has been abundant
demonstrated. however, that nearl
a all farming communities have 1t viii
;. in their own power materially
h. lower freight charges
Practically speaking, no farm PR
duce reaches market without hayin
III, passed over common road, Ar
.iIt is scarcely an eXaggeration
A. l,av that. at current level q
- freight rates. the road-haul Is a. in
- portant 10 the farmer as the raj
IN haul. II has been shown that th
~ same force which will move one 10
"A on poor earth road will move for
is tons on good macadam road.
a. A horse. as In a locomotive, thei
N are just - many ton.miles. Tear
wagon and driver are simply engin
ears and crew in little The raj
"a roads find " profitable TO spen
- millions yearly In straightenIi
- curves and reducing grades In ord'
N TO get the greatest possible servi'
out OF their equipment The iarm'
would find the same policy. apple
"a TO roads, equally profitable. o'
a often doesn't see II clearly.
L. Respectable authority has opin'
re that TO move ton mile on n
common roads OF the country M"
cost. on an average. twenty-five cent
70 II that De -. then 1t costs u
., farmer on an average as much
-. haul a bushel Of grain twelve mile
10 marke, as the railroads chars
MIN 10 h.ul the same hushel a thou
an and miles from Chicago TO Ne
ng York
ID Figure the average haul TO mark
at five miles, or a dollar and
quarter a ton; take the annual ma
ne keU '1auu,y of grain, cotton. ha
"e livestock dairy products from u
"s agricultural departments year boz
and ge, rough idea OF what Il
= farmers pay yearly for the road. hat
=, Nearly hundred and fifty yea
ago. In England. It vas noted III
bv improved roads the hauling
go.Ia vas done with little over ha
the number OF horses formerly use
This suhjec, Is not less impoI
m ant 20 the farmer than freig
he charges. and 20 deal With {,
within his own power"
m. There Is probably no state in q
Ire union that nature has done 50 nut
OF Tor va the way o. furnishing ro.
hrf'H aF.rFa1 rA.~ B.. D.vn