The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-25
MORE GOOD ROADS
A LIVING SUBJECT
Views OF the President of Great
Railway System-The Farm
ers' Salvation.

Good roads is subicc; that will not
down. Th,re are some people who
think good roads advocates are confined
10 the owners Of automobiles. and that
therefore good roads are more OF a
luxury than necessity. The country
folks are beginning 10 see that this Is
| merely the talk of country politicians.
The fact is that the good roads
movement is growing, and growing in
the right direction. All interests from
that OF the big railways down 10 tina,
OF the most unpretentious OF the one
| horse farmers are well served by good
roads. \ broaI-ininded view OF the ad-
NantaSes to all classes OF better high
ways IL made IN a statement recently
! issued by W. w. Finley, the pr ssident
OF the Southern Railway Company. Mr..
Finley IS a practical man and he nl-
ways talks right 10 the point Besides
| Icing the president of a great railwa y
system. he is the chairman of the axe
cusivc committee OF the American Az
ISOLATION for Highway Improvement.
In his statement Mr. Finley makes an
earnest plea for the construction of
country highways radiating from a
market town or a shipping station on
n railway as likely 10 do the greatest
good 10 the greatest numbers. lie
urges that attention should be iirs1
given to the parts of the road i'm
mediatcly adjacent 10 towns and
shipping stations. and that the i'm
prov amcnts be extended into tile
country as funds become available
year by year. Such plan would in
time give the country districts good
< NJ pf i,r,y 10. hep
fit to the farmers. and serving to en-
, large the trade Of retail merchants 70
facilitate the work of rura! mail carl
ers and to extend the range of circu-
lation of local newspapers on the day
of publication. Falling in with this
system of radiating roads would be.
i'm President Finley's Judgment. trunk
lines and through lines for tourists
created by connecting up adjoining
systems of radiating roads.
These are practical suggestions.
worthy of serious attention on the
part OF every one Interested In good
roads. They furnish Il basis for a
definite policy in road Improvement
that places the responsibility where
ii belongs. upon the people of the To-
cality to be benefited Immediately by
the Improvement, So much Is to be-
done in this direction that there are
opportunities for the trying out of q
number of policies. OF the 2,l0o,0oJ
miles of roads in tho United States,
less than 100000 miles ara improved.
The 100000 miles unimproved means
actual loss to hundreds of thousands
of people. especially the farmers, in
hauling their products TO markets. ana
they prevent the enhancement of value
of farm properties that would come
with first-class means of communities
ton. The spirit of improvement is
quite Widespread, being manifested In.
the building Of nearly $4,000 miles OF
improved highways In the Ave years
between 1904 and 1909, and the ex-
penditures now under way averaging
probably 100000 per day for other i'm
! proved roads. \ number of States have
systemaiized this work moro or less.
as fur as the use OF State funds is
concerned. But there is still n vast
| amount of planning to be done, and
1t looks as though 1t might be wise
for tho suggestion OF President Finley
TO have some weight in the planning.