Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1910-10-05
Even a Good Farm Unless
close to Some Highways
Improbable
MORE THAN TALK IS NEEDED
Western Progress Is Making
New Conditions That Must
Be Net.

San Francisco Railroad Company, de-
livered an address on Farmers Day
at the Oklahoma state fair today. His
subject was Wagon Roads and Rail-
roads"
Mr. Yoakum said
There is not much new to be said
on the value of good roads to agricul-
ture and commerce. Every farmer
who hears me knows that the necessi-
ty for country roads is as old as farm
ing itself. A good farm away from a
railroad or a public road is almost
as Improbable as without water. 1t
is hard to understand why Americans
who have been so enterprising in
other things, should be backward in
making good country roads. There
has been a disposition to use bull
strength" and haul farm products ov-
er bad roads regardless of expense
Good roads add greatly to the prof.
its and comforts of farmers, but
Knowing so and saying so do not pro-
duce good roads; they will have to be
made. All talk and no work will not
make your roads. Go at it with the
same determination you would to dig
bitches or build fences.
farmer in Crawford county, Mo-,
has his choice of hauling to either of
two stations-one two miles away
with a poor road, and the other four
miles away with good road. He
can drive the four miles in less time
and haul larger loads. Good roads
cut the time to market in half and
double the value of farm property.
You can't make as good an invest
ment in any other way, and the state
and general public should and will
aid you if you go about it in the right
manner.
Many can remember that a few
years ago one of the important issues
OF this country was whether we should
have free publlaa} Ahds etsAll admit
tedss,--@.slaissss ~ ,ss,.-7.ti. H. good
n aasS khenght ne
were geSc1- 2 along well enough WITH
out them, and therefore there was no
use in paying out money to educate
the masses. 1t seems now almost un-
believable that the proposition to ed
ucate the masses free should ever
have been seriously opposed. In ear
l1er days it was an exception to find
among the poorer classes one who
could read; now it is an exception to
ind among them one who cannot read
western progress is making new
conditions. Only few years ago the
rich lands of Oklahoma, SO far as
farming purposes were concerned,
were as far from American markets
as If they had been located in South
America. 1t was railroad construc-
ton that placed these lands in touch
WIN commerce, and it is the public
road that places the farms in touch
with the railroads. Railroads were
constructed rapidly and people came
to Oklahoma in great numbers. Rail-
roads made this great development
possible. Good wagon roads are now
needed to make it more profitable
and to aid the states growth.
Farmers do not get the use of their
share of the money earned in the
United States. There are now about
81 million people in the United States
and about % million are farmers and
their families. The products of the
farms are responsible for more than
one-third the wealth and commerce of
the country. No one can say that one
| third of this is used by you in the bet
terment of the country districts.
Compare country roads, full of mud
| holes, with improved town streets.
| Look at the country wooden bridges
and at town viaducts and steel bridg-
es The cities have gone in debt for
streets to the extent Of millions and
hundreds of millions. The farmers
nave not used their share of the
money and credit for doing the things
that help them. They have borrowed
| Dut little money to make their roads
compared with what the town people
nave borrowed to make their streets
comfortable and cheap to haul goods
over.
| After the products of the farm
reach the cities, they are hauled in
some instances for distance of two
or three miles on drays and freight
trucks. Think what the town folks
say if they had to pay an extra ex-
pense to have their food and other
supplies delivered on account of mud
holes and deep creeks making their
streets at times impossible, as is the
case with the farmers to get their
products to market
! The value of farm land is fixed by
It's nearness to railroad. Almost all
of the first-class farm lands imme.
diately along the railroads in Okla.
homa are now under cultivation or
held for high prices because of their
convenience to the railroads. With no
more new railroads being constructed.
{ 1t brings the farmers and landowners
{ whose lands are inconveniently locat-
s ed face to face with the question as to
s whether such lands are to remain un-
s salable, idle and undeveloped. 1t is
s not only a question as to whether the
G no0pIa af nH1oboyoa will <alyo bo1J -