The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1911-06-19
POOR ROADS CAUSE
FARM ABANDONMENT
Farmers Should Cooperate
for Better Highways Says
Logan Waller Page.
palladium Specially

palladium Specially
Washington. June 19.-"Philosoph-
srs who have been deploring the trend
OF population from country to city,"
said Logan Waller Page. director OF
Roads in an interview given out in
Washington today. might as we'll
save their energy, unless they are pre-
pared to help change the conditions re-
sponsibie for the migration. At the
root of this condition are the poorly
kept roads OF the country. II is GER
tain that the farmers do not get the
use Of their share of the money earn
ed In the United States. There are
how over 90.O00.OO0 In this country.
and nearly one.third are farmers and
their families. The products of the
farm are responsible for more than
one-third Of the wealth and commerce
Of the country. No one can say. how
ever. that one.third OF this wealth Is
used by the farmer In the betterment
OF the country districts.
1T IL due to the inactivity and lack
OF cooperation among the farmers
that country districts have become de-
populated. The back to the country
movement has had considerable
vogue at sumptuous banquets In cities,
but the movement has not gotten far
out Of town, for the simple reason that
life In the slums, despite all theories.
frequently Is much more livable than
life In the country.
Cities More Healthy.
while fine phrases can be made in
the discussion OF the Joy and heath
Of hand labor In the open air and un.
der the sun. II Is a fact that condi.
tions In the cities are much more
healthy today than conditions In the
country. Sanitation is better. and the
air In tenements Is little worse than
the air In many country houses where
because of the extreme cold and lack
Of proper heating apparatus, the win
dows must be kept closed from Octo-
Der until May. .
and poor highways In the country
have brought about as great a per.
centage of diseases as exist In the city.
While country people are free, as a
rule, from tuberculosis. they are ex-
teremely liable to typhoid fever, pneu.
monia and other diseases that are
brought on by improper drainage and
improper ventilation.
1.-The work that Is being done to-
wards the improvement OF roads
throughout the country will change
this condition. Improved roads will
give to the country districts the i'm.
provements enjoyed by fashionable su-
burbs, and will improve drainage. and
wipe out isolation. In most local..
ties, life on farms invariably becomes,
as . result OF bottomless roads, isolat.
ed and debarred OF social enjoyment
and pleasures, and country people In
some communities suffer such disad.
vantages that ambition Is checked
energy weakened, and industry para.
lyzed. Under such conditions, 1t is
but natural that persons engaged In
farming, especially the younger folks
should seek life and gayety OF the
cities. There they fee; they will find
recreation. variety. youth. beauty and
music.
1.-The difference between good and
bad roads Ia often equivalent to the
difference between profit and loss
Money wisely expended for this pur
pose Is sure to return ten-fold; ant
now that the states are expending In
the aggregate one million dollars da,
for road Improvement. conditions II
the country are likely to be 80 improv
cd that the trend toward the city will
be stopped and the overflow In the
cities will turn to the country"