The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-10-01

SPEAKS ON ROA S

ATLANTIC CITY. y. j., Sept. 90
Governor Woodrow Wilson, in OPEN
ing the American road congress here
this afternoon with thousand dele
gates In attendance. took fling at the
federal government for its failure to
curb combinations before they had
progressed beyond restraint and for
its federation of a slack system of help
in the Improvement of facilities for
the general good of the people.
THE United States has, up To this
time. simply let the energies of the
people drift. 1t has thrown the reins
on our necks and said: Now, here
is a contingent of unexampied rich
ness; do what you please with it. We
with Try 10 see that YOU don't break
To see that you are not restrained
until you get SO powerful We can't
Restrain you. We will Try TO see that
you do justice until you combine
with one another that justice is i'm.
possible, but We are mot going to lend
the aid OF the government to, the ac-
tual task of development
That has been the general attitude
of the government up to this time.
1t cannot be the attitude any longer
There are things of this sort. for ex
ample: you take not merely the mat
ter Of good roads and the carrying
of goods TO the market. but OF what
goods there are to be carried to mar
ket, the production. agricultural pro-
duction per acre of the United states
does not fsvorably compare with the
production per acre of older coun-
tries of the world. and the margins
are approaching one another.
"a IN lfsuA he am
our grain exports were our chief. but
the exports of grain are going down
and down and down because the other
margin in coming up, the margin of
domestic demand, and the population
is increas sing faster than the produc-
ton. so that great deal of our COM
mercial history is about to be altered
by the circumstances Of agricultural
production, and believe that 1t is the
proper function of the government to
see to It that by the extension of all
the varied modern knowledge about
agricultural process and about the
characteristics Of different sorts ought
to be SO extended, SO carried every
where to the farmer as to build up by
the aid of the government this thing
that feeds US. and ought to continue to
feed the world: and whenever you
speak OF that. whenever You increase
what the Gafted States Is aeifiss. YEA
must Immediately increase the facili-
ties Of the United States for handling
what Il has made after 1t han made II.
You cannot nationally increase the
prosperity Of this country without in
crtaefng the road facilities of this
country.
I'VE are merely threading the ener-
gies of nation together. linking them
In. a single pattern. or rather. we are
meriy xetttnR them free. when we
facilitate and promote the interests of
u congress like this need not tell
you. therefore. that am In deep SYM
pathy with the purposes Of this con-
gress. because In my Judgment that
would sirnll1x be like claiming that
was ratis being, and hope that
does moi rsslx5lfe argument
-.Gopd rcadA Il Il question hi which
there II nj dfner6nce which cstn dis
icriminate betwaer parties. and In ms
Judgment n II q question In which
men Of good judgment can hRfdix DIFF
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