The citizen., 1910-03-04
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IDEA GAINS FAVOR.
Movement Making Progress All Owe,
the Country.

the country.
Never before in the history of tbf,
country has there been such wide.
spread interest in and practical activ.
ity for good roads as is the case at
the present time. The good roads
conventions that have been held dur.
ing the past year have been remark
able, not only in number, but in the
results accomplished. In the South
sentiment for improved highways has
crystallized into definite action. in
most cases being led by the Govern.
ors and leading State officials. Maw
miles of new roads are now about to
be built, hundreds of miles are al
ready under improvement and sub
stantial appropriations have been
voted by scores of counties and town
ships. II
Conventions have been held "
Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee,
Virginia, Arkansas. North Carolina,
and Georgia; on the Pacific coast. Sc.
attic had the first conference of road
builders, the American Road Makers
Association held its sixth annual
meeting in Columbus, Ohio; Cleye-
land was the scene of the second an
nual National good roads convention
which originated the previous year in
a big meeting in Buffalo and was ably
supported by the National Grange,
United State Office of Public Roads.
-, Af hA
every other body actively at work in
the good roads movement. 1t has
been a year of good roads conven-
tions and the meetings already
planned for the coming year indicate
that the agitation for good roads will
reach a higher standard of efficiency
in 1910 than ever before.
The much maligned automobile has
played an important part in the move
ment for serviceable highways. Once
regarded as the enemy of roads and
in some measure of mankind, the ben
efits of the motor vehicle are now ac-
knowledged as of inestimable value.
If the automobile aroused discussion
and criticism by destroying the roads
considered good enough for the last
generation, it is now widely recog-
nized as the forerunner of better
roads. It has forced the road builders
and engineers to deal with new prob
lens, the old system of construction
has been revolutionized and the meth
ods of proper maintenance are being
studied with more care.
George C. Diehl, chairman of the
good roads board of the American
Automobile Association, spoke very
truly when he said at one of the re-
cent conventions:
"A great deal has been said about
automobiles running the roads. Auto
mobiles do disintegrate the water
bound roads. But the interesting
fact is that automobiles have come to
stay. 1t is only a question of time
when the automobile will be used in
hauling farm products. Then when
we have arrived at the question OF
proper road construction we can say
that the automobile not only solves
the problem of rapid travel but has
also solved the problem of road main
tenance."
AS a contrast to the automobilists'
point of view of it it is interesting to
see the farmers attitude of the pres
ent day. The time was, and not so
very long ago, when the farmer and
the motorist were supposed to be at
cross purposes. To a large extent
they were, but that is now ancient
history. T. C. Laylin. master of the
Ohio State Grange. voiced very forci-
bly, the point of view of the agricul-
turist on this question at the conyen-
tion in Cleveland by saying:
Although the question of road i'm
provement is of direct interest to the
residents of our towns and cities it
is and always must be one of prime
Importance to the farmer. BY FAY,
the greater mileage of our roads is
located in the farming districts. and
the chief use of these roads is by the
farmers in getting their produce to
market and for social intercourse
with their neighbors. While we join
with our friends. the owners of auto
mobiles, in the discussion of plans for
advancing the good roads movement,
we of the Ohio State Grange believe
that in spite of all that is said or done
this will remain a farmers question
and to be settled rightly must be set
t,sd in accordance with the wishes OF
the farmers"
AS the farmers in the Western
States are becoming enthusiastic au-
tomobile owners. realizing the bene-
fits of the motor vehicle for purposes
of economy. pleasure and business,
they are virtually looking on the good
roads problem in the same light as
the motorists. With these two wide'
ly separated classes of the country
working in harmony great changes
for the National good are certain to
result.
In mileage the United States has
the greatest system of roads which
any country has possessed since the
world began. According to careful
road census, the length of all our
roads amounts to 2.155,000 miles.
The annual expenditure on these
roads is approximately $50. 100000.
Road administration has been placed
on practical basis in about half the
States of the TTnion eomnrieing the