The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-01-15

cases. unfit FOR domestic use.
II the Legislature thinks Il IL d.
sirable TO protect the game and fish
OF the State aud preserve our streams
from, pollution ii is encumbent upon
them TO provide better laws and bet.
ter means Of enforcing the law
Good Roads.
{ Next TO good schools are good roads
Some eminent men have held that
good roads we're as necessary to the
peoples progress as are good schools.
In d speech made In the Natfona,
Good Roads Convention nj al. Louis.
April 2eth. 1903. President Theodore
Roosevelt said:a When we wish TO
use descriptive adsectiyes a, To- char.
acterize great empires and the men
who made those empires great In
variably one of the adjectiyes used is
to signify that they bnilt good roads. :.
Thomas jefferson said: at Is more
remunerative, splendid, and noble for
a people to spend money on canals
and roads that will build and promote
social intercourse and commercial ia
cllities than to, expend It on armies
and navies." There was a period in
this country. beginning about 1850
and extending on to within the last
few years, which we might call the
railroad period, when the enterprise
Of our people, both individual and as
q government, were devoted SO far as
means Of transportation were con.
cerned. to the development of rail.
road building. We neglected our
canals and highways. Previous 10 the
invention OF the railroad the national
government itself, as well as the gov.
ernment of our mother State. deyot.
ed much attention and means to the
building of highways. But the rail-
road absorbed the energy and means
that had heretofore been expended
in the building of highways. During
the last few years there has been a re-
vfyaf of interest in our highways, aud
great progress has been made in many
parts of the country. We have done
very little in West Virginia as yet. 1t
is high time that we should get ready
to begin. The building of railroads
not only lessen the necessity for bet
ter highways. but they increase 1t, be.
cause railroads bring population, and
the more people the more needed ara
means OF travel and transportation.
We need good highways to get to the
railroad. The loss, both direct and
indirect, from bad roads is stipend
ous and incalculable. or the very
large sums spent on our roads In this
State. IA very large proportion Is vast
ed absolutely. =
Our road system Is a pioneer sys.
fem little imnrovement has heer
made nnon n II was designed 70,
tbc. state society when nearly every
man was engaged in farming and eIy
erv. man had al, tbe Ian, he wanted
he, ause he eot n free from The, sta,e.
and every man WAS tharef,re eorai,v
interested IN having roads. and thei,
being little money in tbis n,oneer me-
riod and nobody To hire 10 worry /,
they had had monev-everv man t,rn
ed mt and worked on manv laws ~
the road. II was then a inst IA, be
cns,se each worker was nrac,,eal,,
equally beneftted and interested W.
haven't gotten away from this o,i
law. We still nut orr roads in charge
Of men as oversers to build and re
pair them who know nothing ~ n,
first princin,es Of road bni,d,nc
Womb onnose any larger exnenditnre
on our roads nnder The nresent svs
tenn hscause ~ would he waste -,
the money. the neon,e wou,d not GO,
what tbev exnect sna th,s wot,,,
give tho movenent for ,ood roads :