Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1907-10-04
They Help Farmers.

NdCIOndl AID 10 highway cOnStruC-
ton as a plain, practical business
proposition is, in my opinion, para
mount to any question that now pre-
sents or that can possibly be suggest
ed, because good roads would do
more for the country than any other
one thing that can be named or any
dozen or more things combined, says
w. P. Brownlow, Congressman from
Tennessee, in Golfers Weekly.
There is feature of this question
which persons accustomed to thor
oughness in every other line of
thought seem to entirely overlook,
especially dwellers in towns and cit
les. If the common roads of the
country were brought to a 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
discomfort among laboring people
and the operatives of Industrial con-
Germs would largely decrease, if it
did not entirely disappear. Why and
how?
Present road conditions compel
farmers to rush their products to
market as soon as harvested, when the
roads are at their best, since by wait
ing 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
probable 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
supply. What is the result?
The speculator. finding prices low
and knowing that in a little while the
bad roads season will be on, when
competing products will be kept from
the trade centres, buys up the surplus
and stores it away for the day of ne
cessity 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 town
the mechanic and operative of the
shops and factories-is forced in win
ter 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 rest
less and disconnected and is easily
led into strikes and other labor dis
turbances that are so disastrous to
the business of the country and so
prolific of other hurtful consequences.
This of course is not all that enters
into strike causes, but it contributes
a full share.
The prices of foodstuffs from the
farm would be always at decent liv-
ing level to all concerned If the coun-
try had Systematically improved
highways over which farmers could
travel to market any day in the year.
These farmers would then realize
better prices for their products than
they now do, at less cost for market
ing 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 arc more or less depend
emit upon the facilities of Intercourse
between the people. Good roacs
through the country would do much !
to relieve the congestion Of popula-
ton in great cities. and thus the So
cial fabric would be strengthened, |
because rural life is conducive to the |
highest moral standards, whereas in |
crowded city tenements vice runs riot |
with its malign influence
Bad roads in the United States
cost the producing people $500, 900 |
every twenty-four hours. This drain
is fearful. 1t is deadening the ma
tional life and is a nationa. disgrace.