The record. (Greenville, Ky.) 1899-1???, 1913-08-14
GOOD
T3OADS'
WHAT IMPROVED ROADS MEAN
Spells Prosperity and Happiness to
Every Community Which Has
Forethoueht 10 See Blessings.
CBv n T.. GI.pSl

" 10.
Good roads are conducive to better
schools. live rural churches. pleasant
rides. good. markets. social advance
ment. closer bond of sympathy and
cooperation between the farmer and
his city cossin who works at the forge.
the lathe or the spindle. IL spells
prosperity and happiness TO every COM
munity which has the means and
business foresight to see the manifold
blessings which a scientific system or
good roads secures for its people. Mud
roads spell an enormous mud tax be-
side which our tariff Is like a rygmy
10 an elephant.
Again, good roads annihilate dis
tances and rob farming of the dread
and drudgery OF rural seclusion. this
fact being notably apparent where
farmer is the wise and happy owner
of a high-quality, dependable and eco
nomical motor car. Mud roads brins
social life on the farm TO low ebb,
empty the rural churches. make many
little red school houses but mem
ory and populate the country with
for the growth and perpetuat!on of
the institutions which are the bulwafk
of our national greatness.
Then good roads save time. save
horses and wagons, automobiles and
gasoline. They enable the farmer TO
market at. minimum cost, in rain or
shine, his perishable produce such as
fruits, vegetables, milk. butter, eggs
and meat Mud roads compel the
farmer to leave such produce either
go TO waste OF deterioration, or what
Is near TO eisher, deter him from pro-
ducing any of these proft-bearing COM
modities bee.use he has no dependable
and convenient avenue fos marketing
them.
In.cases of acute illness good roads
enable the physician To bring speedy
relief 10. the sick annually and save
the lives of.hundreds of our men, wom-
en- and children. a fact which more
than trebly ccnPensates any amount
Of money whics We may spend as a
natioa, state. cc.saty. city or town
Good roads spell humanity, relief. mer-
cy, life. growth and prosperity, who're
as mud roads too often spell poverty.
weakness, decay. sickness, suffering
and death.
As road Improvement is of nation
wide interest IL should be supported
by our national. state and county gov
ernments This il notably true with
interstate highways. for il is manifest
ly unjust to tax all the improvement
20 the abuftiAg laad. to the county or
even TO the state. Why should not our
national government promote inter
state commerce through good country
roads as we'll as through river and har.
Dor Improvements?
Good and patriotic men seem 10 be
at vasiance IS to what is the best sys-
TEN of building roads. Some advocate
three or mere cross-continent trunk
highways to be built and maintained
equally by the federal government and
by the various states through which
the trunk highways go. Others favor
the Improvement of these roads first
which - TO the county seat. pro
vided y is a good railroad market
town, and II not, to the most acces.
sible large railroad-town in the county.
They believe that these roads should
be properly ditched. graded. rolled and
dragged. CGlverts should be built
where the water is inclined to flow
across the road during heavy rains
Grades should be raised In low places
hills materially dug down and good
bridges built over creeks and streams
of all kinds.
The citizens Of given county
could by this plan easily determine
on the first ten miles of good roads
TO be built and maintained. Then
the next five or ten and so on fur
ther away from the principal town OF
towns In the county until every foot
of dirt road In the county is put in
ffrst-class condition.
The good leaven is working In the
minds, hearts aud consciences OF the
American people. Good roads. tc
them, now means more than ever be
fore. the avenues which leads to ma
fional strength: prosperity and hap
piness to which every good citizeI
should be glad TO give his due meas
ure Of enthusiastic support.