The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1914-04-16
HIGHWAYS FOR FARMERS.

Declaring that the State highway com
mission of Maine should build roads for
the farmers, and not for automobile tour
lists, A. L. Blaisdell of Winterport, one
of the largest apple-growers in that sec
ton of Maine, addressed an .assemblage
of farmers extemporaneously in the
State highway department booth at the
Good Roads convention in the Auditor
ium at Bangor last week.
Standing before the big map of Maine
which shows in large red lines the routes
of proposed automobile boulevards from
Portland to the border line, scores of
miles through dense forest, for the bene
fit of automobile traffic, and other lines
penetrating through forests in the State,
Mr.. Blaisdell stated in terms that were
so emphatic as to attract group of
road commissioners, selectmen and 9th
ers to the booth, that the State of Maine
must look out for its farmers, or the
people will suffer.
"What do people in the city know
about hauling conditions in the country
just now? We are hauling through mud
several inches thick, and in some places
it is almost impossible to haul produce.
1
food, in part. The city people 60 through
summer, when the flowers are in bloom,
the roads dried up, and everything is
lovely, but what do they know about US
farmers when the mud is deep in the
roads and farmers get discouraged. It's
no fun wallowing through mud.
''That is one reason why boys leave
the farm. They see the pitiful condi-
ton of the roads and they make up their
minds to leave the farm and 90 to the
city, where they make something of
themselves. Then the father loses his
courage more than ever before and be-
gins to lose enterprise.
1.-The father, without the aid of his
son, begins to lack enterprise, and the
result is that less crops are raised, prices
go up, and the community has to pay the
price of bad roads.
why, down in Winterport, where we
ought to be able to haul three or four
tons on road to market, we are lucky
if we can haul half a ton, with pair of
horses. And it's no worse in Winterport
than it is in other sections Of the State.
''Another thing, in their talk about
building trunk roads for Automobiles,
why don't they consider that there is
nothing better for automobilists than to
ride through rich farming section,
where there are growing crops, and evil
dences of prosperity on both sides of the
road. The farms must be developed by
building good roads in order to get farm
products to market"
Mr.. Blaisdell is planning to set out
10000 fruit trees on his Winterport farm
in the near future, which will practically
double the number of trees on his farm.
It goes without saying that if he is to
get the product of these trees to the
station, six miles away, there is an i'm
perative need for good roads in his Sec
ton.
M. o. Eldridge. assistant IN road man.
agement in the United States office of
public roads, stated to the Commercial
that in his opinion, roads should be built
first for the farmers, with an idea to link
ing them later to an automobile trunk
line if desired, but first to build for the
farmer.
GOOD gravel roads, well constructed
and located, with good culverts and
bridges, and the proper drainage are
ideal roads for farmers, and are good
enough for automobiles, added Mr.. Ell
bridge.