The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-08-30
GOOD ROADS AND REIrIISfS
SCHOOLS.

Written for The National Grange by
Logan Waller Page, Director Office
Of Public Roads, l.. S. Department
of Agriculture.
a person rarely takes to q PROPOSE
ion until he is convinced of it's merits,
pr that it Will have beneficial effect on
lis interests. This IS true in every
line of business and in every phase
Of life, and ii is especially true when
he proposition involves the expendi-
.ure Of money or labor The improve
ment of our public roads requires the
expenditure OF both money and labor.
1t is plain. therefore, that those from
whom the money and labor for i'm
proving our roads must come must
first be convinced that it Will inure TO
their beneficial interests and general
Welfare.
has been one of the greatest
obstacles to road improvement. After
more than ten years of active cam
palgning TO emphasize the necessity
for the work. its Importance has not
been fully realized b. the people.
Some Of them, in fact, many Of them,
thoroughly appreciate the vast ec0no-
mic and social advantages which viii
result from good roads, but the ma
jority do not. 4 reversal of this ma
jority Will be the greatest achieve
ment yet attained by the agitation fer
0 Improvement, and the only meth
Oh whereby that may be accomplished
is through a systematic education of
the people as to the benefits which Will
accrue to them.
Il advantages of good roads eX-
tend to every citizen, whether he live
in city or country, and to every enter
prise, whether it be agricultural, man
u~factuTing, or mining. All are more
or less dependent on the common
highways as an avenue for the com
mercial transportation, and in propor-
ton as these highways are improved
SO a sto facilitate transportation are
they benefited thereby. These benefits
have been carefully compiled and esti-
mated in dollars and cents. and so
enormous have hey been thus dem
onstrated to be that thew present a
convincing argument to any thinking
man Of the Importance and necessity
for road Improvement.
But there are other elements of a6-
vantage which more urgently recon-
mend the improvement of our roads
Advantages which deserve far more
serious consideration than any fnan-
cial ~geS which we NAV gain
and which cannot be measured ac-
cordlng to any monetary standard. but
must be looked for in the elevation al
our citizenship and the moral and in
tellectua1 advancement of our people
Most of our cities and towns have
good streets and driveways. which ia
ciiltate business and recreation. The
people live close together, and s0cia,
and friendly intercourse is easy. II,
schools and churches are within cas-,
reach OF all. SO our urban popula.
ton has ample facilities for business
for recreation, for social intercourse
and for attendance upon church ane
school.
1t is different, however, with tn,
tWo-thlrds of our people who are en-
in agricultural pursuits and Iiv.
away from the centers of business ant
population. They have not the pave.
streets and good roads of the cite
and towns. They live apart from eac1
other and have no roads such as affort
easy and convenient means of trans
dctlng business, of social intercourse
ana regular attendance upon churc1
ana school. To them will flow tn
Of benefits from improve
roads. improved roads will brin
them in closer touch with the center
OF progress. 1t will give them enlarge