Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-30
GOOD ROADS Value
Mean Prosperity and Better
Conditions for Rural
Communities.
ROB FARM OF LONELINESS
Keep Farmers Families in Touch
With City-Heavy Economic
Tax Of Mud Roads.
ROB FARM OF LONELINESS

Good roads are conducive to better
schools, live rural churches. pleasant
rides, good markets, social advancement,
a closer bond Of sympathy and co-opera-
ton between the farmer and his city
cousin who works at the forge. the lathe
or the spindle, says r. e. Olds. They
spell prosperity and happiness to every
community which has the means and
business foresight to see the manifold
blessings which a scientific system Of
good roads secures for its people Mud
roads spell an enormous mud tax be-
side which our tariff is like a pigmy to
an elephant.
Again good roads annihilate distances
and rob farming Of the dread and drudg-
cry Of rural seclusion, this fact being
notably apparent where q farmer is the
wise and happy owner of high quality,
dependable and economical motor car.
Mud roads bring social life on the farm
to low ebb, empty the rural churches,
make many little red schoolhouses but
memory. and populate the country with
floating tenants, who care very little for
the growth and perpetuation of the in
stitutions which are the bulwark of our
national greatness.
Cut Marketing Cost.
Then good roads save time, save
horses and wagons, automobiles and gaso-
line. They enable the farmer to market,
at minimum cost, in rain or shine, his
perishable produce, such as fruits, vege-
tables, milk, butter. eggs and meat Mud
roads compel the farmer to leave such
produce either go to waste or deteriora-
ton, or, what is near to either, deter him
from producing any Of these profit-bear-
ing commodities, because he has no de-
pendable and convenient avenue for mar
keting them.
In cases of acute illness, good roads en-
able the physician to bring speedy relief
to the sick and save the lives of hun
dreds Of men, women and children, a fact
which more than trebly compensateS for
any amount of money which We may
spend as a nation, state, county, city or
town. Good roads spell humanity, relief,
mercy, life. growth and prosperity,
whereas mud roads too often spell pow
erty, weakness, decay, sickness, sufferin g
and death.
Government Aid Needed.
AS road Improvement is of nationwide
interest it should be supported by our
national, state and county governments.
This is notably true with interstate high
ways, for it is manifestly unjust to tax
all the improvement to the abutting land
to the county or even to the state. Why
should not our national government pro-
mote interstate commerce through good
country roads as well as through river
and harbor improvements?
Good and patriotic men seem to be at
variance as to what is the best system of
building roads. Some advocate three or
more cross-continent trunk highways to
federal government and by the various
states through which the trunk highways
go. Others favor the Improvement of
those roads first which run to the county
seat, provided it is a good railroad market
town, and, If not, to the most accessible
large railroad town in the county. They
believe that these roads should be prop
erly ditched. graded. rolled and dra gged.
Culverts 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 a given county could by
this plan easily determine on the first ten
miles of good roads to be built and main
tanned. Then the next five or ten and SO
on further away from the principal town
or towns in the county until every foot of
dirt road in the county is put in first
class condition.
The good leaven is working in the
minds. hearts and conscfences of the
American people. Good roads, to them,
now mean more than ever before, the
avenues which lead 10 national strength
prosperity and happiness to which every
good citizen should be glad to give his
due measure of enthusiastic support