The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1912-09-05

Over one hundred and thirty years
ago one of the greatest thinkers the
world has ever produced, Adam smith
wrote in his Wealth Of Nations:
Good roads, by diminishing the ex-
pense of carriage, put the remote
parts of the country more nearly up
on a level with those in the nelgh'
borhood of the town." They are upon
that account the greatest OF all I'M
provements. They encourage the cul-
tivation of the remote, which must
always be the most expensive circle
of the country. They are advantag'
eous to the towns by breaking down
the monopoly of the country IN lts
neighborhood They are advantageous
TO the country because they give the
farmer ready access at all times OF
the year to the city markets. Also,
instead of being isolated from civil
cation for about five months out OF
the year they put him on level with
his city brother; he can go and come
when he pleases; in fact, II he mas
good roads, he has every advantage
that his city brother has, and many
that his city brother has not. Good
roads extend the suburbs of the city.
In the crowded city one must live
and bring up his family on city
hot, probably not over 25 or 80 feet
wide on the street side, and not over
$50 feet deep. On this must stand
the house he lives In; there may be
left enough ground for few flowers
in front, and in the rear small space
for wood and coal, wash lines, etc,
and the children are forcedftnto the
street for a playground In The near
suburbs the man may have lot fifty
or one hundred feet front on the
street, with a greater depth that will
permit of setting the house so far
back that room may be left for a lawn
on which may be developed healthy
children, but in the. further suburbs
reached by modern good roads the
possibilities are still greater. One
man may have a small farm, with
room for all the family to develop
body and mind to their fullest capa-
city, having all the benefits and en-
ioyments of living with nature in
sane and natural manner, and yet In
touch with our highest civilization
through the telephone, the trolley line
and the rural mail delivery.
This is not an imaginary condition,
but actually exists in many OF the
older states. New England Is rapidly
becoming one immense city. What
ever road you travel you can hardly
evcl get out of sight of well kept
homes. The trip from one OF her
cities to another is commonly along
we'll built and we'll maintained roads,
along which Is continuous frontage
of we'll kept homes; you only notice
that as you go from the city centers
there are greater spaces between the
houses. The trolley lines form a net
work covering the country, and bring
the most remote farmer comfortably
and quickly to the city; he merely
lives farther away from the center
of the city, and has more land ano
air for himself and family than has
his city brother; light rig, with
good horse, or an automobile takes
his lighter and more valuable prod
ucts quickly, and in good condition
to market, Whereas in the time o
universal bad roads that once existed
only heavy farm wagon, with tw'
horses, could make the trip, and the,
only at walk, and butter, eggs, an
milk would have been in an unsalabl
condition on arrival had they bee
taken over such roads in such col
veyances.
But there Is another matter col