The Baltimore County union, the Towson news., 1909-10-02
THE FARMER AND THE ROAD.
(By F. N. Godfrey. Master New York State
Grange.)

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The problem of highways has prob
ably concerned the farmers of this
country more than any other class of
people, inasmuch as upon them alone,
for MANY years, devolved the building
and maintaining of the roads. From
the old tortuous woods roads follow
ing the streams very largely, or a
blazed trail over the hills and noun
tains, the corduroys and slab ways
through the swamps and lowlands to
the present good and improved high
ways graded and Strengthened almost
to the grade OF steam railroad, the
farmers have largely been the factor
bearing the burden of expense, and
therefore the ones most to be reckoned
with.
In the early history of the country
the blazed trail and first wagon roads
were winding and long, often making
the distance double that which now
is as the country has been cleared
and the roads Strengthened and grad
ed. As the country was settled and
new farms were opened up new high
ways were built without much thought
as to grade and line. and today we
have in many States, especially in the
East, very crooked and irregular roads.
Gradually the sentiment for better
and improved roads has grown the
coming of the bicycle started the
movement with greater accelcration
than any other one thing for many
years then the arrival of the auto
mobile has no doubt eliminated in
the climax of road improvement by
creating a greater interest with the
whole people until all are ready to
lend hand in the Improvement of
the highways.
The farmers at first have been
loath to favor the more expensive
improvement of the roads, believing
the movement was lagely in the in
terest of the manufacturers and users
of automobiles, but be that as it may,
as soon as an improved road is proper
ly constructed through farming Sec
tion, the farmer is brought at once to
see the value of it in the great advan-
tage to him in the movement of his
produce to market, and since the
whole people are assisting in the ex-
pense, we farmers are withdrawing
our objections and are willing to as
sist.
Taking up the Improvement of the
highways, let me emphasize this fact,
that the market roads should be the
first to be improved, thus bringing
about greater prosperity to the coun-
try by reducing the cost of marketing
the enormous products of the soil in
lessening the cost of hauling to ship
ping points an nearby markets. Later,
the trunk lines may be connected up
to accommodate the wealthy seeker
of pleasure in touring the country
with the automobile. 1t is the labor
ing men, the great producers of the
country, those who must use the
highways every day of the year,
whose interests must be looked to
first if the prosperity of this country
is to continue. The pleasure seeker
who uses the roads only during the
summer months aud for pleasure only,
finds but little trouble now on the
highways, even if only dirt roads, if
they are contented in driving their
machines at a reasonable rate of speed.
The highways of the country are
of vastly more importance than the
so-called waterways, which are re-
ceiving so much attention just now.
The deep waterways such as the great
lake system, and such rivers as are
by nature deep and navigable should
be maintained, but transportation by
water on canals and streams that have
to be maintained by State and nation
at enormous expense are antiquated
and slow, and should be relegated to
the past. The highways, railroads and
deep natural waterways should and
must be maintained, and the whole
people should help to do this. Per-
haps in the near future we shall have
the new and modern method of trans
portation to cope with, and laws will
have 20 be enacted controlling the
navigation by air through the great
milky way.
The Grange, the great farmers
organization, stands for the improve
ment of the highways of this country
through national aid, believing the
national government can do no greater
work toward the prosperity of this
great country than that of improving
the highways, thus aiding the great.
est industry of the country in trans
portation to the markets the magnifi-
cent and bounteous products of ma
ture, at the lowest possible cost and
yielding to the producer the profits
entitled therefrom.