The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-02-11
PLEA FOR GOOD ROADS
J. W. Pamly Makes Strong Ar.
guments for Better Roads.

subject of good roads before the I'M
proved Stock Breeders association re-
Gently. He said in part:
Roads are a measure of civilization.
The food supply of the world passes
over our wagon roads.
The tonnage on our country roads
far exceeds that of the railroads.
Our road laws are out of date.
They encourage incompetency, shift
lessness and make petty graft easily
possible.
Under them only farm property is
+, taxed or the building of country
roads.
The automobile demands better
! roads and is here to stay whether the
farmer is willing or not.
No state in the Union can have bet
ter roads at less cost than South Da-
kota.
The greatest load which can be
hauled over a road is the load that
will go through the deepest mud hole
or up the steepest hill.
The earth road with gravel top
where possible is the practical road
for South Dakota conditions.
One of the great social and eco
nomic questions before the public to-
day is that of improving our high
ways.
Inland waterways, irrigation of the
semi-arid lands, the lakos-to-the-gulf-
railway are minor matters compared
with the building of good roads. |
a hardly overstate its importance.
The condition OF the country roads af-
fects the markets of the world in all
its range from a dozen eggs in the
corner grocery to the money market
Of Wall street. On account of roads,
worse than usual in the co~rn-produc-
ing states, the farmer is unable to
market his crop of corn. Feed be-
coming short, stock unfinished is
rushed to the market at a loss, caus-
ing a decline; and a successful cor
ner is made possible in the corn pit.
The feeder, the farmer and the coun-
try dealer in either case is caught
between the upper and neither mill
stone.
The question before us is What is
the remedy?" We face a condition
that must be changed before success
in the making Of good roads is reach
ed. People must be educated and pub
lie sentiment must be created. The
economic Importance of better roads
must be taught to the farmer. | say
1t kindly but advisedly and truthfully
when | say the farmers, who use the
roads most, are responsible for pres
ent conditions. The attempt on the
part of the business men to have bet
ter country roads Is resented in many
instances as an interference with in
herent rights.
The history of road building shows
actual money saved resulting there
from to be several times greater than
the cost Of building. A good road
along the main highway will add at
least five times its cost to the value
of adjacent farms. II will pay 25 per
cent per year interest on the invest
ment after paying for maintenance. A
country should borrow money on its
bonds for building roads at 5 per cent
The state should do 1t at 4 per cent.
The United States at 2 per cent.
The farmers In time of peace, tum.
bled over each other in voting $7O.-
900 for the state militia and defeated
a bill providing for farmers Institutes
costing $4,000 and finally when driv-
en- to its passage cut the a%ppropria-
ton down to 5 5000. They voted $50
900 for a law school building and vote
down $4,000 for two years a~ppropria-
ton to eradicate and keep out infec-
tlous live stock diseases; they defeat
a good roads law and vote a%ppropria-
lions, many Of them useless, putting
the state in debt $500, 900. These
comparisons could be extended. but I
VIII not take your time Herewith. But
Just let me show the attitude Of the
legislator farmer to the socalled good
roads bill of two years ago.
In order to meet with more favor
with the tiller of the soil and the
stockman II was made optional as to
whether 1t be adopted by a county or
not. No country had to have it IL they
did not want 1t. Yet it went down to
defeat by farmer votes. There were
A votes for the bill, SO against. 9 alb
sent. F~orty-fve votes were necessary
to pass-it thus lacked one vote only
OF passing. OF the SO votes against
the bill 81 were farmers.
No one took the floor in opposition
to the bill. 1t was recognized by the
leading road experts as a model and
containing only the better features of
the laws of the most progressive road
building states. All the opponents
said IL 1t was that il was in the in
terests Of the automobile and ahead
of its time.
It's main features, and they are more
IN today than when voted down.
were:
1. Payment of all road taxes in
cash.