Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-10-04
Good Roads Movement

! anUS OF HllifS VI p'liiia t"''
PrOtes loud and deep. are now be-
ing male against ,nis misdlrv cteo,
Ihap.hazard road WORK. and this IN
&C. nect.Lu with the growing zee llhS
that the State should assist in the
coust ructiun Of roads promises to M
iausuratc systematic work for 'he
future.
! Spt aking Cor Ohio, cur legislature
al ihI session just closed enacted
road law providing thai in the con
| struction of roads under the law the
state shall pa 80 per cent, the Cooh
1ty % psr cent, thu township 10 per
cent. and the al'tt'inS prop'r ty ~
| Der H. moderate Appropriation
was made ana the great work is be
gun In the Buckeye state. THIS WI
| plGye liFe casting our brf ad upon
| the waters" for this expenditure OF
State funds will return after many
cav. fourfold. Population will be IN
creased. business invited lectures
multiplied. religious work and STR
vices prcmo'cd and the wealth anu
prosperity OF the State enhanced.
Federal Aid.
| ohPPS''>e ~.
| very state grange in the land, is TO-
| DAY asking that Federal aid be extend
ed in constructing our county ROADS.
The need and propriety OF such ala
Is conceded on all SIDES, and the
ranks of those who have opposed IL
are rapidly thinning out. Every cltl-
lien in this great Republic is depen-
| detn upOn the country read Tor MS
very life. Food and clothing are the
| ess. initials, all else is incidental. The
| farmers road is the Nations lie, an
| as population increases II becomes
q stil larger factor in our economic
and industrial life. 1t is highly i'm
pCrtant that the transportation OF
food and all supplies is materially al
/ fected by the cost of rural transpoi
| ,a1ion. The demand for supplies from
| the country is said TO Re increasing
in geometrical progression. whlie
the ability OF the lands now undsf
cultivation 10 produce goes by the
slower process of arithmetlcal pro
| erosion. We gather from this that.
| in the near future many millions OF
acre: OF our domain now remote IRON
shipping points must be laid unde!
contribution TO the food supply OF the
, country. These remote and now In
accessible acres must be brought
nearer to the point Of shipment,
which can only be done by improved
roads. The farmer is impressed with
the necessity for permanent ROADS bu'
! is staggered at the cost. The under
taking is too large for individuals. OF
| communities. and in this extremity
| he turns to his government, as the
! farmer of every land and cline mas
done before him. In making this De
Inland he does not COME empty handed
as a suppl;ant He kEcws that he
| has a good bank account with his
! government. 1t is for him to feed
| and clothe the world and nobly is ne
responding. Last year the farmers OF
the United States not only produced
the food and other supplies for the
more than eighty millions OF people
here. but they sent across the sea
AMI sold in foreign countries biz
lion and five hundred millions dol
lars worth OF farm products. This
preserved the Balance OF Trade with
all countries and gave five hundred
! millions for Urcle Sam 10 LAY up Tor
| a rainy .dav. But for this billion
dollars must have been sent abroad
TO pay for cur imports. it was
, enough to pay the entire approprla-
ton CT Congress and still add five
hundred millions to the National
wealth. Thoughtful statisticians row
tell US that the products of OUT
farms for 1908. will exceed all pre-.
vious years and reach the grand tota'
of eight billions of dollars. The ag'
r,culture Of the United States Is the
mich cow of the United States, ana
from her orr teeming millions are
drawing their daily sustenance. From
our exports. Uncle Sam las for many
years. been paying his debts, and
should have de posted 20 our credit
SINE Hilton of dollars beside. we
are asking for but small portion OF
our own. Who shall say it is not
ours? For what has our money been
expended? Hundreds Of millions LOT
public tcIildings into which the farm
er seldom enters. and in which ne
has but little interest. vet consent
ing to the expenditure through patrio-
tism and love OF country. Again.
from 1902 till 1908. inclusive. $50 mil
| lions Of our money has been paid TO
somebody for the avowed purpose oil
improvement Of waterways. yet before
a bushel OF pound can be loaded upon
; any boat or ship. Il must be hauled
| in a farmers wagon over a road that
! nc is forced 90 build at his onw eA-
perse. A road. too. that is wide
open no: only TO every citizen OF tfi'
country. hi; TO the citizen OF ail
! countries. even 10 ths Islands OF the
sea. without moray and wSeout
price.
| To this seeming favoritism and
! injustice The farmer has net serious
| " objected thus far. but he remem-
hers that although WATERWAYS as COM
petitors In transportation are attrae
tive as an argument before congress
sionai committees. he ia but ipj!rectiy