Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1913-02-10

comic supplements of the metropoli-
tan dailies, when picturing farmers
sons. These road cadets are to be
taught the elementary principles and
practices of roadmaking the causes
and effects of good roads; their loca-
tion, grades, drainage, maps and pro-
| files, construction and maintenance,
narrow and wide tires, and some
kinds of roads and machinery neces-
sary for the use of road-builders, as
well as military training in the cur
rent tactics of the National Guards,
which will develop high degree of
J discipline, chivalrv and loyalty as
characteristic of every valiant road
cadet. The department of good roads
of the Oregon Congress of Mothers
will take up this work and endeavor
to organize road cadets in every
county.
Begin With the Boys.
Why should we not begin with the
boys and instill into their minds the
real significance Of good roads?
would advise presenting a bill before
our legislature making the teaching
of the value of elementary principles
of roadmaking a part of the rural
school curriculum. A part of the
course of instruction might be the
comparison between roads of foreign
lands, especially France and England,
and the appalling cost of bad roads
1t is evident that sucn teaching
and training of the child will de-
velop a public spirit in our rural
communities that will not tolerate
the deplorable conditions that exist
today in nearly every state.
Why not begin with the children
teach them that good roads are an
absolute necessity and must be built,
as a church or a school house must
be provided for the public good?
We must awaken public opinion to
/ the knowledge that the social value
of roads must be recognized before
the country people will tax them
selves for their construction. This
will not lessen their economic value
We might teach them that unless
transportation facilities unite the
country firesides and make possible
mutual culture and social enjoyment
in the farming community, similar to
that which causes the appalling ex-
| odus of the country youth to the
city, the realization of that devout
petition, Give us this day our daily
bread will ere long become literally
true, and We shall ask in vain for
sufficient food for the city's poor.
Let us promote highway improve
ment for child welfare in every part
of this state, and since iteis charac-
ter that sways the world, let each
remember that the construction Of
roads necessarily preceded the con-
struction of the higher character of
rural citizenship.
The second article, entitled Good
| Roads, was written and read by
Mrs. Jessie Schoenthal of Belleview
and is as follows
You will note that in this paper
| have taken up the question of
good roads in general way, leav-
ing the local conditions for the dis
cussion.
The campaign for good roads con-
Quoted with great vigor by many or
ganizations has gathered such vol
ume that it must now be reckoned
| among the strong educational influ-
ences of the time. The amount of
instructive literature that is distrib-
uted outruns the dreams of the agi-
tators OF even few years ago In
fact, it was only a short time ago
in I910-that the American Associa-
tion for Highway Improvement was
formed, and in the councils of this
organization are the foremost en-
gineers of the country, railroad pres
idents, editors, professional and bus
mess men. They have gained the
cooperation of the railroads. a num-
Der of which have run improvement
trains over their lines, equipped with
every facility for teaching local Of
ficials how to improve and maintain
roads. A great deal of credit must
be given such a broad and public
spirited policy. Then we have the
Good Roads Office of the Depart
ment of Agriculture and the National
| Good Roads Board of the American
! Automobile Association, and their
chairman has given some reasons
why congress should lend federal aid
/ He states that the United States has
/ given 200,O00,000 acres of public
land to railroads for the purpose of
encouraging the construction of
these modern steel highways. For
rivers and harbors since 1876 the
sum of S60S,975,774. 1t is spending
S4OO, 100000 for the Panama canal