The record., 1911-11-30

4
has appropriation 5000 times as
much money for military expenses
as for the b.tteimsnt OF public high
ways. II it could be shown to our
national lawmakers that military
roads are needed tor The movement
of troops and military convenience,
appropriations of millicns would be
had without delay.
In building that naval highway
for fighting vessels in a foreign
country, the Panama canal, the gov
ernment is spending more money
than has ever been spent on any
similar project in the history of the
the world. For harbor and river
improvements congress a couple Of
years ago appropriated S52 900, 900,
transaction in which polliCians
reaped greater benefits than was
made apparent in tho undertakings
for which the money was voted.
There has been expended upon the
Mississippi river, including surveys,
IN the last 100 years S2ss, 600, 900
to put that stream in condition for
handling products of the farm and
commerce tributary to it, yet the last
statistics available show that in 1906
there were I,549, 900 tons less trans
ported on this river than in 1889.
II took three quarters of centu-
ry to build up the American rail
roads. During the same time little
attention has been given to the build
ing up of American country roads.
Yet the value of the two to the pub.
lie goes hand in hand. Food and
clothing must be handled between
the producers and the consumers
over both the country road and the
railroad. 1t is important that the
country roads approach The high
standard of the railroads.
The country road makers have
not kept up with the railroad max
ers; if they had it would not cost the
farmers 10 haul a ton of grain one
mile as much as it costs them to
send it by railroad fifty miles.
They, too, must get money to cut
down grades, TO get smooth, hard
surfaces, to get good drainage, and
to reduce the cost of maintenance.
When this Ia done the farmer can go
from his farm to his market or ship
ping station quicker and carry
bigger load. The firm roadbed aud
smooth, heavy steel make the rail
roads cars and engines last longer,
and the substantial, well made cOun=
try road makes the farmers horses,
wagons and harness last longer.
The saving to the railroads is only
small fraction of a cent on each ton
hauled one mile, while the saving to
the farmer is IS cents ton a mile.
The difference in cost of hauling
will often turn losing farm into a
paying one.
With a good road farmer who
lives fifteen miles from a shipping
station is better off than one who
lives only FIVE miles away with
poor road, The man with good
road, with the distance against him,
can make his trips quicker and carry
from two to three times as much on
his wagon, and, what is more i'm
portant, can depend upon his road
and bridges every day in the year,
while the man who encounters
swollen streams and impossible
roads often loses his best market
and his vegetables decay on his
hands.
We have ,, 100, 900 miles of pub
lie roads. From the best informa-
ton abtainable there are about A.
900 miles, or two miles out of each
hundred, under high standard of
improvement. There are not more
than I7s,ses miles, or eight miles
out of each hundred, under any
kind OF improvement. In other
words, we have I,9a5, 900 miles of
public roads which are in as poor
condition now as they we're when
they were laid out by our carly set
tiers and pioneers.
II is the duty of every citizen of
the United States to aid the farmer
in every way consistent with bust
ness principles to market his pro-
ducts to bes. advantage.
If We build 100, 900 miles OF pub
lie highway annually for ten years,
giving the country 200, 900 miles