The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-07-12
N. D. ROADS
CONVENTION
SPLENDID MEETING PROMISED
AT JAMESTOWN JULY 12-MANY
INTERESTING SUBJECTS WILL
BE DISCUSSED BY SOME or THE
MOST ABLE SPEAKERS IN ". o.

The state goodroads convention will
be held at jamestown July II. The
subjects taken up will include such
as Road Maintenance. Road Materials
in North Dakota. Good Roads Legisla-
ton, Oiling Roads Culverts and
Bridges, Auto Club Road Maintain
ance.
The following are some Of those who
will take part in the programme: Mr..
Atkins, state engineer Professors
Dolve and Hard OF the agricultural
college, Mr.. Hunter of Grand Forks and
Professor Chandler of the state uni
versity
The Importance of good roads is, as
a rule, under estimated. They have an
economic. social and a political sig
nificance, for instance the average cost
of hauling in the United States Is
rs cents per ton per acre, while in
Germany IL is but 9 cents. This means
In case person lives SIX miles from
town and load consisting Of ton
and half is taken to town and sim
liar one brought back. the trip would
cost about three dollars more in the
United States than in Europe; and
that is not all. however, as at times
our common roads are often unpass-
able.
Good roads effect the social condi-
lions in that they make 1t easier to go
from place to place and they effect the
political situation in that the more
people get around the better thew are
posted. and as q rule the better the
roads the more reading material comes
to the farmers homes.
The railroads have revolutionized in
dustry and have greatly modified Soc
ial and political conditions. The rail-
road, however, cannot reach TO the in
dividual farm, so the wagon road must
do for the farm what the railroad has
done for the towns and cities. What
would happen to city II 1t had such
a railroad that they would have to
charge two or three times as much for
freight and passenger traffic as some
other city otherwise equally well stu
ated? Grass would soon grow In the
streets, or suppose the road bed lead
Ing to II was so poor that only half as
good time could be made on It as to
some other city: that would ruin the
city's chance for development. Or
suppose that IL could only be reached
at certain times of the year; then who
would do business there? These are
preposterous statements to make OF
railroads. but they are the conditions
that obtain in the country, where the
expense OF hauling is in many cases
tw or three times what 1t should be-
Where the road Is such that 1t often
takes two or three times as long t. get
to market as it should and where the
roads are not in condition for hauling
loads at all times. A road over which
hauling can be done cheap1y quickly
and at all times of the year will be-
come a great factor for developing that
community It will make possible the
doing OF many things that was before
out Of the question, and OF doing them
better. This will attract the most en-
terprising people. will build up the
community. economically, educational
ly, socially and politically.
Remember that the wagon roads are
to the farmer what the railroad is to
the town and city. so do not faf. to
attend the Jamestown Good Roads
Convention July IL.