Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1914-07-16
Ashland, Ore, Thursday. July 16, IA
WHY GOOD ROADS MUST COME.
portland Telegram.)

Said the farmer who observes
things and thinks about them, as he
saw the freight auto truck pass the
country store:
There goes the new railroad And
I want to tell you boys it is the
cheapest road that ever was run.
There are no high-salaried superin-
tendents and roadmasters and general
managers in that outfit. That fellow
sitting on the seat is conductor, en-
gineer, brakeman, traffic manager
and section boss all rolled into one"
He may be president of the road
for all you know" observed another.
THAT is true" said the farmer,
"and it all comes at the same price"
In this colloquy there was a world
of economic philosophy, and a great
deal beside that is prophetic The
deep-down moral of ii all is good
roads.
Traffic service between different
communities by auto trucks is one of
the great facts of the future. II is
a fact now but it is in its incipiency.
1t is barely the suggestion of that
which it eventually will be. Its full
development depends upon better
highways; and one of its functions.
aside from that of serving the people
with cheap and convenient traffic.
will be to educate them to apprecia-
tion of the direct and intrinsic value
OF the modernly improved road.
To so back to our friend the farm
er who discovers that he needs a
binder and can use, ,it-to peculiar ad-
vantage to himself the very next day.
He telephones to the dealer in the
city and that binder comes out to him
that evening on the auto truck.
There's something that on the aver
age would be impossible to accom-
plish by ordinary railroad traffic. If
the binder came by rail ii would have
TO be carted from the dealers to the
freight depot. 1t would occasion some
service at the hands of bill clerk and
the freight handler. 1t would leave
for its destination on the next regu-
lar freight. which on a suburban cleo
trio line might be that night or per-
haps a couple of nights after. Ar
rived at its destination, it, again de-
mands some service at the hands of
the station agent; and finally there
is the item of hauling TO the farm on
which ii is to be used. The city haul
ing. the country hauling, the work
of freight handler. bill clerk and sta
tion agent are all eliminated in the
service of the auto truck: and in
addition there is a saving OF time that
may be of great advantage TO the
consignee.
This serves sufficiently TO illus
trate how the minor economics inher-
ent TO the auto truck service are
bound to make that service an estab-
lished fact OF the utmost value TO the
people. II is new agency in indus
trial activities that is with us 10 stay.
and because in the matter OF traffic
which il can handle it is the line Of
least resistance.
As the farmer is served by this
agency in the summer time when the
roads are good. he will desire TO be
served in the winter time when the
roads are bad. IL will not be long
before he becomes convinced that the
thing TO do is TO have the roads as
good in winter as they are in sum-
mer. This proposition will shortly
begin 10 appeal to him as a matter
OF dollars and cents in his pockets to
have the roads that Eill permit this
service the year round; and dollars
and osnts ont Of his pockets not to
have then
With the use OF motor power on
THE Highways Of the country we may
s1y that the railroad efficiency OF the
oou1t-T is multiplied: and the new
railroad which is traekless. which
owns 10 Franchises nor rights OF way.
Eh5eh iHEuss no stocks nor bonds. and
carries no load OF watered securities.
is NrHlst1s 10 the use Of the people
On TIE most direct and simple terms.
Il g5ekE up the freight where 1t really
originates and drops IL at the place
Of its ultimate destination. The only
condition. aside from the freight
charges that IL demands, is the good
road. the facility for operation. II is
the best good road argument ex,nnt.