The Washington herald., 1913-09-29

n with ali our national getting We had got
understanding that The pleasure seeker
is of far less Importance than the man
who is at a gamble with nature Tor ms
daily bread and ours. The average auto
mobilist Is not interested in ten miles OF
good road He eats up that distance In
few minutes, and then signs for more to
speed over. On the other hand, the aver
age farmer is not interested in any more
than ten miles and would be glad II ne
had fewer than ten to travel over.
Getting Down 40 Dirt,
He IL is who faces the problem Of the
dirt road which we shall always have
with us, for il is inconceivable that We
can ever bring to automobile standard
the total road mileage of America-first.
because Of the initial expense-ten billion
dollars at least; and second, because OF
the burden OF maintenance. This partic-
uIar out-of-the-way kind of a man has
got to be stirred. and stirred thoroughly,
II the great good-roads campaign Is 10
be a real enduring success, for he mas
10. be aroused to more personal service
than does any other man in the Whote
problem: he 1t is, and only he, who VIII
ultimately be. depended upon to bring up
his share of the dirt road TO its best
through his personal work and the regu-
lar use of the drag when the rain stops.
Must Vote His Convictions.
II is this same man whose vote will
count and whose conservatism must be
reckoned with il a rapid betterment OF
rural roads Is to come, for ne does not
see clearly the need of road bonds-oniy
800. 10000 voted last year-a mere drop
in the bucket of what would be called Tor
II a general rebuilding were undertaken.
This man has been or is in debt. He
knows how 1t feels; therefore he has to
be shown that he is right in putting
debt on the shoulders OF his children
without their approval Beyond that ne
has to be shown that the spending OF
bond money will be so well MANAGED as
not only to produce a good road now.
hut 10 maintain it as a good road, 80
that when it comes to the hands Of the
children IL may give them just the serv-
ice that II will give now: otherwise he
regards the reckless spending OF BOND
money. without the idea OF maintenance,
as a crime OF bad judgment against
those who will finally have to pay the
debt
The Pyramid of Effort.
II We can bring ourselves to look at the
road problem from the right end OF the
mental telescope it does not appear 50
appalling. There are four kinds of roads
Interstate, State, county, local; ana the
greatest of these is local The millions
live along these latter. Their hopes am
billions horizons are bounded by What the
local roads hold for them. The distant
cities and the great. round world only
make a faint, rumbIing in their affairs.
The problem is to carry the gospel OF
good roads and local self-dependencE TO
these. showing them that by persHnal
work the quality of any dirt road can be
brought up and maintained; that per
sonal work linked up with other personal
work means a good road TO town.
When these millions know that the i'm
proved road has made things better Ter
them. then will better county roads come
TO have a personal call on their CO.
operation. and the county road ofncers
find along the feeder roads the men
whose sentiments will aid the road 1;h-
GERS duties.
The linking OF neiChboring counties by
neighboring county officers. then, seems
like sensible extension Of the campaign.
This will make great State highways uE-
der State commissions a natural eVolu-
ton, and the linking Of neighoorinG
States by neighboring State commissions
is again the natural step Thus will the
better day dawn for all our highways.
The reverse process is the worse process,
for it omits the selfish appeal 10 the local
beneficiary which must lie underneath
such a high endeayOr.
GRIDLEY BEDE.
October 6-"RailrOad iValuHtioa.