The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-02-06
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WHY 5000 ROADS
ARE NECESSARY
PRESTON BELvIN FONTS OUT HOW
THEY WILL BENEFIT
FARMERS.
GOOD WORD FOR AUTOS
PREJUDICE AGAINST CARS SHOULD
EXTEND ONLY TO RECKLESS
DRIVERS or
MACHINES.
GOOD WORD FOR AUTOS
By JAY LEWIS.

roads" declares Governor William
Oct good roads and you'll get
prosperity" replies President Horace
Halves. OF the Richmond Automobile
Club.
cording to eminent authority, vir-
ginia's prosperity and roads might
be improved considerably.
II good roads cannot be had with
out prosperity and prosperity with
out good roads, something should be
done and done speedily.
The Richmond Automobile Club Ia
doing all II can to boom the good
roads movement. II IL giving time.
q campaign Of education. and II Is
this latter that win eventually do
more than anything else to advance
the cause Of good roads and brings
prosperity with II.
One thing that should be done As
10 educate the farmer to the advan-
tages OF the automobile. A prejudice
exists against this useful vehicle. and
until that Ii removed the good roads
movement Will not advance rs rapid
IL a. 1t should.
Prejudice Exists.
Hon. Roosevelt Page says that he
received an offer to defray what ex-
pense he might incur in prosecuting
Automobiles for damages In any part
OF the State.
In some communities II Is consid-
cred a praiseworthy act to rock" au-
tomobiiists.
a Hanover county farmer declared
that IL good roads meant the coming
of automobilists he would prefer to
ride through mud up to his horses
knees.
Which would tend to substantiate
the assertion that a prejudice against
automobiles and automobilfstx exists.
The whole OF this prejudice should
be merely against only the reckless
drivers OF cars. not against the ma
chine. Yet the farmer. whose horses
are alarmed BY the tourists car. ex-
tends the feeling to the machine.
This attitude can be altered. 1he
farmer. the most prejudiced farmer.
mobile Is blessing rather than a
curse.
Automobiles argue for good roads.
Farnef nsA tlse Auto.
Before long the progressive farmer
OF Virginia will Be using the automo-
bile TO haul his produce TO market.
He will be using II In the corn field.
He Will be using II on the farm IN
stead OF horses and mules. because
IL will be more efficient and cheaper.
He wfli have a runabout car to call
on his neighbors or take a spin to
the city.
But he must have good roads firsI
There are farmers who are suffi-
cientiy prosperous 10 own automo-
biles, but with Virginia roads In the
condition they are reported to be, a
farmer has no incentive to purchase
q car. He prefers to stick to the
horse to being stuck In the mud.
He must hAvN good roads.
Says Preston Beivin, who has given
much thought and work to progress
along these lines:
The great drawback to a farmers
life II It's isolation. Young men and
ON their honNynlaen They see the
life and hustle Of the town and then
- think OF the I0Refyxssfe Gu the farm!
They prefer the city.
~NeigaborS are too far away to call
upon by walking. The horses are tried
from their work. And, anyway. II
ID q bother to harness UP and 30 cali
Ing.
when . Car Il Handy.
Now, how handy u would be TO
have a nice little runabout automo-
Siie, 4 machine that n ever ready.
never tired, and take q spin OF four
or ave miles to cali upon a neigh
Dor.
sit would be- refreshing. exhiiarat-
ing. ENJOYABLE. Man Il by nature z
social animal. He likes to meet his
kind. And the automobile II an In
strument to this end.
The lonely life. the isolation would
thus be done away with and the
weary existence become q life OF
pleasure The young people would
,tick to tho farm.
But they must have good roads 70
..Hr. Belvin sees when the auto.
ruck will supplant the oldsfashioned
.-Tne day Il coming" he says
when the farmer will place his pro.
duce ON ons Of these biz machines
that think iittls Of twenty tons. and
run II up to the marhet.
The Flooding mules and trims
4 horses win ~ obsolete. With hia
auto truck the farmer win think H.
tle Of forty-mils run. He will &C.
cCmplish In three or four hours what
would ordinarily take . day and Z
hall. perhaps two days.'.
But. again. he must have rood
now for the farmer while ne y using
horses Or mules - In the future
when he viii depend upon the auto
Captain 81. Julien Wilson, Com
rninr1oner OF state Highway. pointed
B tlls out when he told how . farmer
81 bad road had 10 divide the load
\ Ne carted easiiy over . good thor.
oughfare. He was forced g max
two trips and even then had hard
Tnis took cine. ana time , monsy
swan n farming districts. a gOed