The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1912-12-27
THE KANSAS GOOD ROADS CON-
VENTION

VENTION
There is no question toward which
the citizens Of Kansas are so indit-
ferent, in proportion to the impor-
lance Of the measure, as in the mat
ter OF improved highways. GOOD
roads is distinctly community IN
terest The city dweller needs good
roads to enable the nearby producer
TO bring his products to the NEARBY
market at the least possible expense,
and to bring them regularly. The ru-
raj dweller needs good roads In order
10 bring his products 70 the nearby
market al the least possible expense
and as regularly as conditions de-
mand. The good roads convention
which convened at independence re-
Gently was disappointing to your rep
resentatiye in many ways. In the
first place there was not the attend
ance there should have been, the Inn
portance Of the issue considered, Inc
delegates were not what might be
termed brim-fulI of enthusiasm for
the work. Upon the whole the, en-
eouraglng outlook for something
tangible and permanent in the mat
ter OF improved highways for the
state, rested in the possibility OF get
ting the children OF the present gen
GRAFTON educated up to che needs and
Importance of better highways and
bv this means the generations TO
ONE stood q fair chance OF getting
some really good roads,
The meeting was a highly instruc-
tive one and one which should have
been attended by every county com
missioner, county engineer, delegates
from every farmers organization
every commercial club and mer-
chants organization, in the state. A
concrete example of community de-
yelopment, through the medium o.
good roads, was gwen BY Fred Triys'
representative of the Kansas Clt!
| star Mr., Trlgg's sutie,t was poll
RIGS and Good Roads. MIR. Triss
handled this phase of his suo)ec
very ably, but the thing which shout
I interest the most In MIR. Trisg's re
marks. was the account he gave o
the progress made along highway I'M
proyements in our sister state, Iowa
Here the merchants and business mel
generally have joined hands VIII
the farmers OF the state and they
working together, have done wonders
They have practically replaced IN
} old muddy, impossible roads OF
few years ago with the most moder'
system Of dirt roads, and have pei
fected system for maintaining IN
upkeep of these highways. The In
tial steps in building these new road
i, we're taken by the city dwellers. IN
!. roads for a greater portion OF tn
year became so bad that it was e
fecting TO an enormous degree To
commercial status OF the state.
So direct is the effect upon Aoc'
business in towns located along theS
e improved highways in the state
81 Iowa, that the merchants OF the va
il ious towns are having signs painte
and posted along the roadside direc
y ing the traveller to their particul;
(. town. The rivalry among the tow
II located in the various parts Of q
state is so heated that II can only
IL expressed by the rivalry OF Weste'
towns in an earlier day for the a
tt oulsition of the steel roads, II
Is bus. ness interests Of these tow
At have learned that the transient tra
which comes to them from the me
s. fact that they are located upon
good road is sufficient to pay for {
le first cost of construction and the u
keep from year to year,