The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1909-06-03
The Value ct Good Roads.


tive in Congress from the tenth dis
trict of New York, recently made
the following address in the Nation
al House Of Representatives:
"Mr. Speaker:
Good roads mean progress and
prosperity, a benefit to the people
who live in the cities, and an advant-
age to the people who live in the coun-
try, and it will help every section of
our vast domain. Good roads, like
good streets, make habitation along
them most desirable; they enhance
the valuation of farm lands, facili-
tate transportation, and and untold
wealth to the producers and consum-
ers Of the country; they are mile
stones marking the advance Of civil
ization; they economic time, give
labor lift, and make millions in
money, they save wear and tear and
worry and waste; they beautify the
country bring it in touch with the
city; they aid the social and the reli-
gious and the educational and the
industrial progress Of the people;
they make better homes and happier
hearth-sides; they are the avenues Of
trade, the highways Of commerce,
the mail routes Of information. and
the agencies OF speedy communica-
tion;they mean the economical trans
portation of marketable products
maximum burden at the minimum
cost; they are the ligaments that bind
the country together in thrift and in
dustry and intelligence and patriot
ism; they promote social intercourse,
prevent intellectual stagnation, and
increase the happiness and prosper
ity of our producing masses, they
contribute to the glory of the coun-
try, give employment to our idle
workmen, distribute to the necessi-
ties of life-the products of the fields
and the forests and the factories
encourage energy and husbandry, in
culcate love for our scenic wonders,
and make mankind better and broad
err and greater and grander.
THE plain people Of the land are
familiar with the truths Of history
They know the past. They realize
that often the difference between
good roads and bad roads is the diff
ference between profit and loss.
Good roads have money value far
beyond our ordinary conception. Bad
roads constitute our greatest draw
back to internal development and
material progress. Good roads mean
prosperous farmers; bad roads mean
abandoned farms, sparseIy settled
country districts, and congested pop
ulated cities, where the poor are des-
tined to become poorer. Good roads
mean more cultivated farms and
cheaper food products to the toiiers
in the towns; bad roads mean poor
transportation, lack of communities
ton, high prices for the necessaries
of life, the loss Of untold millions of
wealth, and idle workmen seeking
employment. Good roads will help
those who cultivate the soil and feed
the multitude, and whatever aids the
producers of our country will in
crease our wealth and our greatness
and benefit all the people. We can
not destroy our farms without final
decay. They are today the heart of
our national life, and the chief
source Of our material greatness.
Tear down every edifice in our cities
and labor will rebuild them, but
abandon the farms and our cities
. will despair forever.
, Mr.. Chairman, the far-sighted
) wisdom of Julius Caesar built from
: the imperial exchequer the magni-
. ficent roads that lead in all directions
> to eternal Rome. The great Napo-
leon-Cesar like-built the roads of
: France that center in Paris from the
general funds of the government;
and the French roads have done more
l than any other single agency to en-
) courage the thrift and increase the
: industry and insure the contentment
of the people of France. Caesar and
: Napoleon were the great road build
| ers Of ancient and modern times, and
, the foresight and their judgment
and their work demonstrated the
benefcent results that follow like
the night the day the building of
: great government highways
F Value of Peas and Clayer.