Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1912-05-30
GOOD ROADS TO
DEVELOP SOCIETY
Financial Advantages Great, But Eff
feet on Social Side of Farm
Life More Important.

Every thoughtful person knows
that aside from the financial advant-
age that comes TO community
through the construction and main
tcnance Of good roads there is an
even more important secondary ef-
feet which relates to the intellectual
or social side Of farm life.
This subject was taken up before a
Mothers Congress meeting held in a
southern state, by K. T.. Toms, Unit
ed States Highway Engineer, who in
part said:
The advantages OF improved roads
have been carefully computed and es-
timated in dollars and cents, and so
enormous have they been found to be
that they present a convincing argu-
ment for their improvement The
pecuniary benefits, however, sink in
to insignificance when compared with
the social, moral and intellectual adj
vantages-advantag which can not
be measured by any monetary stand
ard, but must manifest themselves in
the elevation of our citizenship and
the moral and intellectual advance
ment OF our people.
Improved roads have good influ-
ence because they permit an easier
intercourse between the people in the
cities. They facilitate rural free de-
livery, whereby the farmer is able to
receive. his daily papers and maya
zines and keep in touch with the So
cial, political and commercial activi-
ties OF the nation. They develop a
better social and intellectual condi-
ton by bringing the people in close
touch with their schools and church
es.
Most OF our cities and towns have
good streets and driveways which ia
cilitate business and recreation and
bring the schools and churches with
in easy reach of all. Contrast the lot
OF the country child on his way TO
school in winter with that of his city
cousin with only a few blocks OF
paved street to walk The country
child must leave home an hour or
more before school opens in order
TO be there on time. The roads are
usually not in good condition in the
winter.
The report OF the United States
Bureau of Education shows that in
the year 1909 there were $4,000, 900
children in the United States Of
school age. but that only l1,500,000
were enrolled in the public schools
Several million children are deprived
for one reason or another, of OBJ
tanning an education and | have no
doubt that a large number are pre-
vented from Attending school on ac-
count of bad roads.
In Massachusetts,, Connecticut.
Rhode Island, Ohio and Indiana
states which have large mileage OF
improved roads. the average attend
ance. of enrolled pupils during the
year 10000 was so per cent. while
in Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas,
South Dakota and Georgia. states
which are conspicuous for bad roads,
the average attendance for the same
year was only Ga per cent.
That improved roads would revolu-
tionize our country school system
there would seem TO be no doubt
The era OF the remote, barren. one
room school house has passed, and
they are rapidly giving place to the
consolidated rural school This means
the merging of number of school
houses, giving us more complete,
equipped and altogether more
attractive social and educational in
stitution.
The campaign for the abolition OF
the mud road is more or less one OF
education.