The Bad River news. [volume] (Philip, Stanley County, S.D.) 19??-1912, 1911-06-08
City and County Roads

Ill every agricultural COuICTy
the final source of wealth is the
soil. l therefore lay it down as a
postulate that every town in An
agricultural country is dependent
upon its tributary territory for its
prosperity in fact for its very ex-
istence. The soil must feed and
clothe it's people. 1t must build
their homes. 1t must grade, pave
and light their streets. 1t must
build their churches and pay the
minister. 1t must build their
school houses and pay the teachers.
1t must even pay the salaries of
the city officials. Thus in finance
everything is drawn from the soil.
Now as no community can per
manently maintain a high standard
of moral or social life without a
sufficient material income. it fol-
lows even the moral and social de-
velopment of the town is secondar-
lily drawn from the country. The
converse of this is also true. The
country is as dependent upon the
town as the town upon the coun-
try. The country could not de-
velOp to high estate without the
town. The farmer markets his pro-
ducts in town. He draws his sup
plies from the town. If he needs
skilled labor he employs a mechan-
ic in or from town. If a doctor is
needed one is called from town.
So in moral and social Ii fe, each
reacts upon the other to the mutual
benefit of both. Their mutual de-
pendence each upon the other is
reciprocal. The need is to so blend
these two communities into one SO
they will have the same interests,
the anticipations and the symps-
thy. What are the ligiments that
will thus tie them together?
Where the arteries through which
courses the vltalizing force that
will thus blend the two into one
harmonious wholeg 1t is the roads.
These, afford the only means of
intercommunication. If the roads
are good the two peoples will min
gle fully together and this is the
only means to amalgamate them
into one people. If there were no
roads the town could not exist and
the country would retrograde into
a very primitive sort of life. If
the roads we're half developed the
two could exist, but it would be
astwo separate communities. There
would be little sympathy between
them and often they would antag-
onize each other. Give them good
roads, roads that it would be a
pleasure to drive or even haul q
load over and like magic they will
be drawn together and amalgamat-
ed into one homogeneous people.
Now let us look at this matter from
another standpoint. Did it ever
occur to you how very similar the
responsibility of the first settlers
In a new country to the genera
tions and peoples that are to follow
is to that of parents for their fam
lilies? Parents are morally bound to
give their children such education
and training as will enable them
in adult years to become intelli-
gent and useful citizens. Nor may
they shirk this duty though it costs
them self sacrifice at the time.
Precisely similar is the RESPONSE
bility of early settlers. They are,
in one sense the parents of the
settlement. Upon them devolves
the establishment and location of
the public utilities. Among these
the roads are of primary import
ance. Their use is not for few
months or years, but to extend on
and ON into the indefinite future.
The moral responsibility in iocat-
ing them is very great. Ifthe very
best possible location is not secur-
ed you transmit to the future peo.
pie tax more or less erroneous &C.