Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1909-03-25
AMERICA FOR BETTER ROADS.
May One Day Rival France, Who Now
Leads World.

Since the time OF Napoleon, France
has been expanding vast amounts OF
money In road construction. Nearly
$500. 900, 900 has 80 fur been spent.
II will be many years before Ameri-
ca can hope 10 compete with France In
road maintenance; the newness OF the
country. the necessity OF showing TO
the people the practical needs OF such
highways, the vastness OF the national
area and many other elements being
barriers, but the road awakening has
been gratifying In the last few years.
and at the present time We can boast
OF approximately 100000 miles OF I'm
proved roads out Of total mileage OF
2.150.000. or these about $4,000 are
road surfaced. the others being gravel.
shell. sand, clay and oiled earth roads.
While this country has made consid-
cradle progress In building rock sur.
faced roads, the percentage Of such
highways 10 the country's total mile
age is far less than that Of France, not
only because Of the vastly greater
area OF this land, but because the road
building OF France extends over GEN.
fury OF time. while here the desire for
modern highways was born but com.
paratively short time ago. Among the
first to realize the importance OF the
demand were the master minds OF
transportation Of a decade and O half
ago.
II was rot until 1892 that there was
any broai1 concerted plan placed on
foot for .. general betterment of Ameri.
can highways; that year witnessing
the int oduction of q bill In congress
providing for the appointment Of q ma
tional highway commission. 1t never
becaIae law. but later in the same
year a league OF good roads was
formed at Chicago.
II Massachusetts. great progress has
been made in providing dustless roads
by generously spraying them with oils.
or late the medical profession has
been an important factor in providing
AhiOi luC uiocdoC
breeding caused by dusty roads.
II Is the consensus OF opinion that
unkempt, filthy roads mean unkempt
and dirty children, and that dust
means disease.
II is fact that the 2,150,000 miles
OF public roads OF the United States
constitute the national dust factory
and furnish 80 per cent. of the dust
the community inhales. The delicate
lungs were never meant to take in
such substances as every passing
breeze blows from the thoroughfares,
and the percentage of deaths from dis
ease caused by dust is higher than is
generally believed.
The ideal road of the future must be
broad, hard surfaced, and dust proof.
When 1t will come is problematical,
but America must some day rival
France in road maintenance, and to do
that she must spend great deal Of
money.
When the broad areas Of this great
country are traversed by roads equal
to the national routes of France, the
standards of living in rural sections
will be uplifted to an astonishing de-
gree; the cost Of marketing the prod
ucts Of the farmers will be reduced by
many millions Of dollars; the city and
the country will be brought closer to-
gether; the public highways will be
made veritable rivals to railroads for
the transportation of commodities; the
rural sections will be beautified; realty
prices will increase and the health Of
the people will be greatly improved.