The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-08-01
RETTER ROADS AND HOW TO GET
THEM; CITIZENS SHOULD ASSIST

Kept up Win tue IdllIOdu lhdhcla D
They. too, must get money to cut
down grades, to get smooth, hard
surfaces, to provide good drainage
and to reduce the cost OF mainten-
ance. When his is done the farmer
can 20 from his farm to his market
or shipping station quicker and car
ry bigger load The firm road
bed and smooth, heavy steel make
the railroads cars and engines last
longer, and the substantial, we'll
made country road makes the farm
ers' horses wagons and harness last
longer. The saving to the railroad
Is only a small fraction OF a cent
on each ton hauled one mile, while
the saving TO the farmer is IL cents
ton a mile. This difference I'm cost
o, hauling will often turn losing
farm into a paying one.
The greatest value of good roads
will be to the farmers who have not
as yet become interested. You nave
not yet found a way to reach them
to properly place your arguments
and statistics before them. They
need to be shown that the poorest
reads are the most expensive roads
They have not been shown thar
their broken wagons, broken harness
and blacksmith bills cost them more
than the cost OF having good roads
They have not been shown that IA
$500 day team can do twice the
work over good roads. which makes
that team worth to them $500 day.
The members of your association
know these plain and simple things
| have stated. But the way to get
good roads is to make all the peo-
Pie know them and keep them con-
Stantly in mind, The transportation
system which carries our food and
clothing from maker to user Is part
railroad and part country road. One
/ part is as necessary rs the other.
/ Your organization in its support of
the bettermont of our public high
ways should talk in millions instead
Of thousands. The advocates of bet
ter roads are behind the times and
will have to spend money by the mil
lions to catch up. and the people who
are to enjoy and benefit by these
improvements should be educated to
understand what good roads mean to
them and what they will cost.
The agricultural people of the
country are beginning to realize theh
own situation. They are commencing
seriously 10 study economic uues
ilJns. They are beginning to figure
their time as worth money. Wher
your association places the facts
!, before the owners of the six million
farms. who represent, according t,
government estimates. including thei,
families. nearly one-third of our pop
ulation, and gets them to realize
What good roads mean TO them. W,
viii then have good roads. The,
VIII vote for men as public serv
ants who will encourage and vote tr
he!p along the work of getting goot
roads The duty of the National Goo,
Roads Association is of greater I'm
Portance today to the future growtl
of the country than it has ever beer
before.
1t is TO good roads that this conn
try must look largely for its future
growth and development
The railroad business of the com
try has been attacked from SO man,
different standponts that we are not
J going 10 have for many years such
build highway over which then
back from existing railroads is good
this YOU can now see in many sec
uons of the country and will see
communities begin to reanla how
more evidences of IL as diNeren
improvement which can come near.
We have enjoyed heretofore. The
public highways. Illustrations of
est taking the place of railroads in
/ the development OF the country lying
th, next best thing. which is ,I