Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-03-18
The Other Side of Good Roads. "

Editor henneDec journal
Referring to the 100000 bond issue
for good roads advocated at Portland
recently. Such a vast expenditure IS
open to much criticism and before sane
toned should be very seriously consid-
cred. 1t is necessary TO carefully weigh
both sides of such big thing and there
are two sides to this as everything else.
No mention. however, was made of .he
drawbacks so [ will endeavor to poiu:
out some. they are only the ideas of Il
way-bacll farmer, and may not be
worth much, but many eminent men IN
the country are of much the same epn-
ion, among them being one known among
his friends as Big Bill Taft whose
opinion is usually considered to be of
some value The speakers at Portland
[ am not referring now to Gov. Plaisted
| noticed We're all men occupying good
remunerative positions which it Is safe
to say would not be made less so when
the money began to be spent, so that
one would expect their strong support to
such scheme.
1t is very evident that the motor IN
dustry is behind all this proposed reck-
less expenditure. supported by owners
of automobiles and also by the highly
paid road engineers and officials who
would grow rich out of it. The automo-
bile industry has driven most of our
country women off the roads. often about
the only recreation the farmers wife
and daughter had it has seriously de-
creased our markets for hay, straw and
grain, and now it seeks to make the
farmer pay for the pleasure of the idle
icb ht-J ,.i,,., H. ia, ba..
of the burden of road building Why
should this work be done in the spring
of the year. as suggested at the meet
ing, If it is not SO that the roads will be
nice and smooth for the automobile ?
1t is certainly not for the farmers bene-
fit, as he has nothing to haul then, in
deed it would be about the worst time Of
the year as far as he is concerned. as
the land needs all the help that is pos
sibly available then: the farmers. are
sadly crying out for more labor now.
and yet it is proposed to take away a
great part of this available labor at seed
time and any legislation that reduces
this already scarcity of labor, is rapidly
reducing production of the necessares
of life and helping to bring hardsfips to
the workers of the cities and disaster to
| the country generally. and the man.
whether he be peer or peasant, who adj
vocates such, must be considered by all
| thinking men, an enemy to his country.
Any fair-minded man. who owns au-
| tomobile, Will agree that there is truth
| in this and would be willing and manly
enough to bear the burden of the cost of
his pleasure if it were possible: II is not
| so much the owner of cars, as the trade
/ generally back of this movement. Why
| this sudden and idiotic craze after city
| roads in country places it is like a man
| strainng after a $1,000 automobile when
| he can only afford a $50 road wagon,
| and If he is foolish enough to ape the
| impossible by gratifying such whims. he
must inevitably end in misery and pos
| sible bankruptcy.
| America is like an impetuous school
| boy. who regards road building wants
| to do much in 10 years it has
| taken older countries centuries to per-
| form. and such impetuosity in the
young, is mistake and unless curbad
| must lead to trouble. 1t has been said
| that farmers themselves will be large
lusers of automobiles in the near future
| Ridiculous nonsense, 80 per cent. OF
| practical farmers 8will agree that such
| luxuries are Quite out of the reach OF
| the ordinary farmer. and the few who
| endeavor to ape the wealthy and get
| by hook or by crook, an automobile, us
ually buy about a fifth grade one and IN
| a year or two it will only be so much o,d
| JUNK. The truth of the matter is that
| the motor industry wants market fol
| the thousands of old machines lying
around the county, and the farmer )
| looked upon as the natural dupe to sell
| them to. 1T was suggested at the Port
| land meeting that law should be en-
acted that country districts should beal
l all expenses in the maintenance oil
| State-aided roads after once built; this
| if passed into law would be most unjust
| on the rural communities; it would be
! like giving poor man good suit 1f
| clothes or a good square meal and then
telling him that he must always dress
and feed like it for the rest of his life,
! whether he can afford 1t or not.