Putnam patriot., 1909-05-21
Good Roads A Question of National I'm.
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 The report of the "1ountfy Life Com mission, appointed by the President of the United States, to consider the condition ol the farmers and recon. mend remedies fer existing deficiencies in country life. was submitted te Con afess on February eth, iaol, together with a message ffonl the President.
 While the Commission purposelN avoided endorsing any particular mil now before Congress, ii does make eef. tain specific recommendation, On the subject ol highway improvement the commission makes the following ssale- menl and suggestions.
 ..The demand fai good highways k general among The farmers ot the cn. tire tniled states. Education and good roads are the two needs most frequent. N mentioned in thc heaungs. High eays that afe usahle Al all Hines oi the seaf are now imperative, not onlY for the marketing et produce, but for the elevation ui the social and inteiieetunl status eI the open eeuntfy and the inl- ptoVelneni ol health bv iasufing hettef medical anu surgical attendance.
 e.fhe asis antares are -a well under. sto0d tha5 atauments tat better taads arc not aeesss8fS here oat respond. enls are nuN euneernesi lafgels With the nclhaas oi afamitng aud iinanc- ing the 0nfk With only uuimpot,. ant exceptions, tat farmers who haNe expressed themselves to tls on this ques. ton, consider the tedetalgoNesnment k fairly under obligation to aid in the work
 "Ne hold that tue development ei \ fully sefsioeaele highway system K a matter ef national concern, coordinate with the development of waterways and the consers alton of our native re- sources. it.is absolutely essential 10 our internal development, The first thing necessary k to provide expert supervision and direction and te deNel- op national plan. All the work should he co operative between the Federal government and the States. The ques- on of Federal appropriation for high way work in the states may well be held in aeeyanee until national ser. vice k provided and tested. We sug- gcst that the United States government establish highway engineering ser .,ry t,{ iask Ia al the call of the States in working ou, effective and economical highway sys- tems.'
 The report and recommendations of the Commission are highly valuable, as sls careful investigation, including personal visits to an sections of the country, and correspondence with asp,. oo residents of the country districts as ,o The most pressing needs of Ihe farm- CTS for the improvement of their eondi- tion, shows that public sentiment k unanimous in favor of better roads as practical means Of supplying existing deficiencies in country life.
 In his message to Congress aeeompa. nssng the tommissioa's report. she President summarizes the conclusions arrived al hy the Commission, and states that, ss the result of it's inNesti- gations the following three great gen eral and immediate needs of country life stand eas
 firsg. effective cooperation among farmers, ta put thetn ea ! seNes with The organized interests with which ihes do business.
 second, \ new kind of schools in the which shall teach the children IS much outdoors as Indoors and per. haps morc. So that they will peparr Iof counlfy life, and nol as at present, I mainly 1es liie in Gown- X&f11 An4nne nnnnnn ~ nslen1nnk<nfnn \