The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1909-12-23
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THE ROAD BLIGHT.
Portland journal

A powerful appeal by one who
knows the blight of bad roads was
made at the meeting OF the fruit
growers Wednesday. The speaker was
A. /. Msaon, of Hood River, and
among other things he said; "lf the
appropriations used to send fiotilla
of battleshjps around the world had
been used in some building OF good
roads; IL some Of the unreasonable
and exorbitaut allowances allotted to
the various railroads for hauling the
United States mail and for the pay
ment of rent for the use of the mail
ears we're used to build good roads
il, In short, our congressman were as
good TO the farmers after election
as they are before, we would ever
praise their acts and our posterity
would honor their names and, today,
we would be hauling our farm pro-
duotp over smooth, maoadBm roads a.
little cost, instead OF plodding
through mud axle deep at heavy
cost"
The statement is true, Spending
money at the rate OF Sl3S, 500, 600 a
year for navy and but miserable
pittance for roads is national In
sanity. The battleships, cannon, nd
mirala and marines aIe u burden to
be horne on the hacks of those who
produce. Admitting that the main.
tenance of a reasonable navy Is neces-
sary, IL still remains fact that the
whole naval enterprise Is dead
weight of expense that those who pro-
duoe wealth must pay for, and at
fearful cost. 10 contribute, az we do,
quarter of billion annually for
the appointments Of war when no
nation threatens us, and never Will
to pour out this colossal sum on
national vanity and egotism when
farmers are forced to haul foodstuffs
"axle deep through the mud" ID nat
ional madness and a blight upon the
effort of those whose lives compel
them to use the highways.
In every field of lite the effort is to
secure efficiency of effort, except In
country roads. We have learned that
the way to be successful 10 to give
energy chance to oount. The
more each unit of endeavor can ac-
oomplIsh the switter is the progress
toward results. We know now that
real economy In any activity Is to
conserve time and toll, and to make
both, Ey giving them proper facility
count for the utmost in accomplish
ment.
but we have not applied this
maxim to our country roads. Com
pared to other activities in life we
have done nothing tor our highways.
It costs 40 times az much to haul
ton of freight over rural highway
as to transport 1t by railroad. That
which 1t costs 81 to move by rail,
costs $40 b., rural road. 1t Ia an
awful condition, condition that is
mockery of our intelligence. 1t is an
indictment of our system, the oon
temptation Of which Is enough to
make us blush with shame.
No single agency will do as much
tor country life as good roads. No
single agency will do as much tor TN
ancial betterment of both rural and
urban life. The bad road Is costly
toll on the farmers time and toll.
If he be delivered from it by good
roads his time and toll become
douhly efficient, Ills earnings are
vastly increased and at once he
becomes heavier buyer of what the
city dweller has to sell. 1t is the
truest of truth that whatever enriohes
the country enriohes the town, and
that paramount Issue with both IL
a rural road that will double or
treble the farmers chance OF sur
vival. Aid now for the fund that is
sought for carrying on a good roads
campaign of education in Oregon
will be bread cast upon the water
that will return MANIFOLD after II
mighty few days.
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