Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1912-05-18
GOOD ROADS NOW
ANECESS|TYTO
COMMUNITY

Robert F. Harper, President of the
American Automobile Association,
in regard to the country wide move
ment for good roads, said in a pa
per recently prepared:
MANY OF the Southern and West
ern States have made remarkable
progress within the past two or three
wears in the enactment OF laws which
provide for the extension OF their
highway systems, and for the con
struction and care. OF improved
roads. The new conditions arising
from the development of automobile
traffic. have enlarged the question OF
public highways from one OF purely
local consideration, to an economic
principle involving not only entire
commemorative. but the nation as
a whole
"Nhen the traffic consisted OF
wagons drawn by oxen. or mules, or
horses. open roads to the nearest
railroad station or boat landing were
all that was required The fact that
even such roads were not well built
nor kept in repair. was due to va
rietv OF causes Each particular 10
calitv had an explanation. purely
local. to account for the conditions
But. as rule, these explanations
did not explain. even TO the satisfac-
ton OF those making them The
fact still remained that nearly or
quite % per cent OF the farmers OF
the country were keeping themselves
poor bv reason OF the excessive cost
OF marketing their products. These
products could be hauled only AT sea
sons when everybody had to haul
This resulted i'll temporarily over
worked railway service, congested
markets. and low prices.
The older and weather. States
saw the point first. and began CIV
mo aid To counties and towns in
produce could be marketed at any
time in the year. The result was al
most electrical in its effect Thou
sands of farms which. because OF
their relative unprohtableness un-
der a bad road system. became pro
dnctive again The general values
of farm property were enormously
enhanced. This was accomplished
bv the building al a few town and
county roads purely for local pur
poses
Then the automobile became 4
factor in the road question, and the
road problem became widcned and
enlarged. With vehicles winch
would cover 100 or POO miles day,
the condition in each county rapidly
became known to the people IN ad-
Joining counties. and broader
comprehension OF the whole highway
question was inevitable, i'll country
where intelligence prcdominates. oi
course. there were, and still are III
isolated localities, persons who ciine
to the bad roads OF their grandiath-
tTN. dllt ltNiNt hNs '''N''f'
improvements. These are those who
regret the passing oi the spinning
wheel, and the domestic weaving
loom. with which the women used tn
make cloth for clothing the family.
The age is progressive. FIFTY or
sixty years ago this coutry began
To build railroads. and now we have
more than nearly all the rest OF the
world together In place OF crude
industrial facilities, we have the
very best on earth: yet we are behind
other civilized nations in the improve
mcnts OF our roads We are begin
ming now to do with our highways
what should have been done long
ago
There is a phase OF the road ques
ton which is statewide III its appii-
cation. That relates to the through
or trunk lines which accommodate
through traffic. To leave the con
struction and care OF these roads NJ
the hands OF local authorities, must
result in uneven and inharmoniouS
construction. unimprovcd gaps. and
desultory care. involving practically
a failure OF such roads, for standard
OF their utility. Good roads bring IN
vestors who are looking for advan
tapcous locations. This includes ag
gricultural investigation and invest
ment. not only along the line of the
road. but in other accessible sections
II changes bv the sheer force of pub
lciiy. backward localities into pro
gressive ones. enhances values an'
brings into general notice resource
which had only been known locally
or, if known. not appreciated.