The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1910-10-19
GOOD ROADS
gsy Hon. Robert Broadna1 Glenn E1-
Coxeraor of Norta CsroIInaJ

Toafa. .Or anyone who has iraTeied
at aiI, and compared she Development
Of counties and staten that have goOd
highways. with ,hOge tkat have neg
Iected n better the condition ~ their
roads. knows tha; there IS no factor
that feuGs more 70 the uplifting and
betteTment of the people ot com
munlty. than the cOL ruetiUn of first
ciaio public Highways Gillespie said:
THE roads Of country arc accurate
tests of the degree Of it's civilization, -
and the public road commits sIoner
NJ the state Of New Jersey said: The
building NJ good roads IL the next step
forward IN human Development and
IS one Of the greatest blessings of
the age, not only 10 the merchant and
farmer, but those who are interested
in the education Of their children"
Briefly, Will enumcrate some Of the
advantages TO each particular class.
Take farm situated on q good mac
ahamIzed road. and compare II with
one located along one Of our old
fashioned mud turnpikes and you are
compelled 70 admit that mud leyies
the heaviest tax upon the people In
one instance the value Of the farming
land is enhanced The farmer with
his team can make twice AZ many
trips 10 market ~ over bad roads. and
haul twice or three times az heavy
loads: the wear and tear on his yehic-
les, harness. and injury 10 his stock
are very much lcg8eued. and his wife
and children, Possessed Of an automo-
bile. or Il good team of horses. with
good roads TO travel over. can easily
visit public places. and have not the
desire 10 forgake the farm and move
IN the city. The getting OF our chill
dren To school over good highways.
increases the school attendance, and
makes school days less OF burden,
and more Of pleasure. Take the
other side, A farmer lives on mud
road, almost impossible In winter; no
one desires 10 buy his farm; he can
scarcely drag through the mud enough
Of farm products TO pay for the haul
and harness broken, and often his re-
ligIon seriously impaired by his style
OF conversation to hiB mules in order
10 induce them to make the trip.
With good roads, teams could be
ugc'. on the farm when the soil was
In condition to work and crops haul
cd TO market when It was impossible
to do farm work and being able to
quickly get 10 market, advantage could
be taken Of the HuctuatIng prices of
the price would fall before market
could be reached.
The merchants In every city are also
benefited by increasing in their trade,
on account OF more people being able
10 easily reach their market Even
the consumers I'm the towns and cities,
are benefited by the competition af-
fOrdcd by farmers being able to bring
supplies TO market wen II the roads
were bad. this would be impossible.
the high prices demanded by those
bringing the same products over rail
roads from distant markets Anyone
who VIII take the trouble to carefully
and faithfully review the benefits Of
good roads and the cost Of building
them, can easily see that there Is no
person engaged IN any business.
whether agricultural mcrchantle
manufacturing. Of otherwise, but that
VIII derive ten times more In benefits
than they can possibly have to pay I'm
The way Of taxes. / would be willing
10 agree with any honest man owning
farm, TO pay all his taxes that
would be levied upon him for build
Ing roads provided he would keep
faithful account and given me one.
half or even q third Of what he has
saved by having them Lately have
Travelled over all the west and / lnd
the source Of their great improvements
not altogether their splcnGid crops.
and their railroad facilities but IN their
building OF good roads Into every sec
tion OF their counties Many told me
that they considered the benefits from
lhcir roads as iucalculably more TO
them, than amy other one factor In
their d"vniaaW "t o. course every
uuo North Corolnon is glad TO note
the Interest taken i'm good road build
ing In our state. but not one half
enough is being done even In those
counties that have done the most