Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-11-16
GOOD ROAD A clvlLIzER.
Why the Improvement OF the High
ways Should Be Encouraged.


Civilized nations have good roads.
Savage nations have nc roads. Prob
ably the road is the greatest index OF
civilization. The communities living
In savagery do not desire intercourse
with other communities and do al,
possible TO make intercourse difficult.
A nation must be well advanced in
civilization before IL undertakes the
building of roads. We do not have
to go back many thousands of years to
find the Caucasian race living with
out roads and depending on trails in
the fields and forests.
One of the great drawbacks about
country life has been its isolation.
This isolation has been rendered more
intense by the badness of the roads
which have kept families apart. They
have not only kept the families from
visiting. but by making progress slow,
have compelled the men hauling loads
TO town to consume twice as much
time as was necessary. This extra
wasted time has TO come out OF some
place and that place has to be the
time that should be devoted to socia-
bility. The years of time that are
wasted pulling loads over muddy
roads Is a great obstacle in the path
OF civilization. The lost time is such
a factor that the farmer In a communi-
ty of poor roads must spend most OF
HIS time in drudgery to make up for
It.
Fortunately now there is a move
ment all over the country TO improve
the roads and 70 reduce them to q
condition Of permanent hardness.
This is a movement In the interest OF
civilization. The good road will do
more for civilization than almost any
thing else. The road that the farmer
had to take two hours to traverse can
now be traversed in one. where the
roads have been improved.
II we mistake not the general move
ment, the United States government
will In the near future do much more
for the construction OF roads than IL
has ever before done. In the recent
sessions OF congress there has been
much talk and some action in this d.
rection. IL is evident that the ma
tional government can build inter
state roads for military purposes II for
no other. and we may expect 10 see
some such roads constructed. Every
mile of such road will be civilizer
and a stimulus 10 the communities
TO build good roads.
II is impossible for nations to have
good roads while the populations are
sparse. but as soon as the populations
become dense the relative cost OF
building IS reduced. The population OF
this country has now reached the
point where It is feasible to construct
roads throughout the length and
breadth OF the land.
Every dollar spent in the construc.
tion of good roads is a dollar spent IN
the interests OF a higher civilization.
The good road opens the school 70 the
use OF the pupil and increases the av.
erage attendance The good road
makes IL possible for many a child 10
obtain an education that otherwise
would have half OF one. The good road
increases the attendance on the
church and on every other religious
and social agency.
In some sections we near or the
farmers opposing the construction OF
good roads. But. declares the Farm.
ers' Review. that is only because in
their case the cost is so great that
they do not believe the demand justt
1es IL. There Is such a thing as put
ting In a too-eXpensive road. What
would be the right kind of a road for
one place would be the wrong kind OF
road for another place. Circumstances
alter cases. Every community Is In.
telligent enough TO settle the matter
OF details for itself Every community
is not. however. awake as to the value
OF good roads and this is why such
articles as this appear. The matter
should be everywhere agitated in the
interests OF a broader and grander civ