Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1909-11-19
WANT
GOOD ROADS
r. VI. Slagle, of Palouse Country Inn
provement Company Advances
Good Reasons

Agitation of the subject of hot
ter roads has begun and il is honed
| II VIII continue until some benefit
clal results are obtained. At the
last meeting of Evansville grange.
heid inns week, the matter was dis
cussed and most Of those present
expressed themselves as in favor Of
concerted action to secure these inn
lprovements which are so badly need
ed 1t Is hoped to get all of the
farmers Cand the business men, tool
interested in the proposition and to
get petitions signed by practically
all voters. asking the state legisla-
ture and congress to take action TO
secure better roads in the rural dis
| tricts
f. NJ. Slagle, president and mana
ger of the Palouse Country Improve
ment company, is taking an active
interest in this work and when seen
by lne .lerald reporter and asked
FOR statement. he said: 1T is ali
right for Jim Hill, President Enlott.
and the Country Life Commission to
talk about making two bushels of
grain grow where one grew before
and all that kind Of talk We an
| prectate 1t, 1t is the right thing.
but the improvements in the rural
| districts do not end with increased
crops Diversified farming is
wonderful thing for the country bur
a man living six, eight or ten miles
from railroad cannot diversity his
| products and produce butter, eggs
and small products in which there
is good profit, when the roads,
from four to six months in the year
are such that he cannot get to town.
II cant keep dairy, nor produce
eggs, butter, of even potatoes, at
the present prices, and haul them
to Pullman over the awful roads we
have during the fall and winter.
Good roads in the country will
10 more to encourage diversified and
intensified farming than all of the
lectures that can be given in ten
years. You give us as good roads
to my farm as we have cut TO the
Savage and Snyder farms, aud ! viii
engage in diversified farming on an
extensive scale and make 1t pay, too.
Concerted action should be taken to
secure better roads. The property
benefited should be made to pay for
doubt that the macadamized road
running from here to the Savage and
Snyder farms has added IS per acre
to all Of the land adjoining that road
but that is no reason why should
have to pay for it, 1t don't benefit
me. A chain is only as strong as its
weakest link and | can only haul as
large a load over the macadamized
road as | can haul from my farm to
the end of that road
I'VE need automobiles in the
country. Every farmer should have
one. He should not have TO unhitch
a team from a pillow, or the mower or
the harvester to run to town, nor
should he be required to keep an
extra team in order to come to town
without stopping one of his work
teams. He may want to run To town
and back in half an hour and can't
afford to take the team from the
plow He can't use an autom obile
but a few months in the year, with
roads as they are now and always
have been and always viii be at this
season Of the year, unless a concert
ed action is taken to secure good
roads. The automobiles should be
used for business, just as much as the
mower or plow They have them
on the farms in the eastern and cen
trail states where they have good
roads. We will never have automo-
biles nor extensive diversified farm
ing until the roads are put in such
condition that it don't take half a
day or full day for a farmer to
come to town if he lives more than
two miles out. Give US good roads
and | believe the greatest step to-
ward solving the problems which
confront the agricultural classes will
have been solved"