The Natchitoches enterprise., 1914-02-19
A Hundred Million For Good
Roads.

| Gno El3nCn LOulSldNd nOG only
favors the measure apprOprlatlng
the sum of twenty-five million
dollars for good roads, but be-
lieyes the sum should be -four
times as great-a hundred million
for the construction of permanent
good roads throughout the length
and breadth of the land. In a
recent speech on this subject
Representative Aswell said:
The economic value of good
roads and the necessity for build
ing them are self evident. They
need 20 further argument. The
statistical data and all phases of
their value have already been DIS
cussed and unanimously indOrsed
by this house.
Everybody knows that in the
United States it costs on an aver
age twice as much to haul farm
products from the farm to the
nearest railroad station as it costs
to transport the same products
from that station to Liverpool,
England. All of US know that
the farmer in this as IN other
matters has received scant con-
sideration by the government and
that he deserves the best. But
the value of good roads is not con-
fined to the farmer. 1t nightly
affects all classes Of society, all
lines of industry, and the stability
and perpetuity of the government.
The demand is immediate, une-
quivocal and inlDelling. The ad-
mlnlStration has promised to inau-
gurate this far-reaching plan of
service to the whole country. All
political parties seem glad TO join
in a movement that will improve
the living conditions of every
citizen and have powerful infu-
ence upon the happiness and pa
triotiSm of all the people.
Il am a democrat in every
sense of the word. l had some
part In the election of the
great democratic president.
[ am more convinced now than in
that campaign that in the genera
tions to come he will be numbered
among the immortals of this re-
because he has shown HIM
self a man of no petty or ignoble
passions, man of unusual charac-
ter and uncommon purity, whose
-ofty ambition is constantly fash
ing forth in The highest type OF a
PATRIOTS love for the man on the
ground; for the uplift ant <recog-
nition of the great plain people of |
the country upon whom all others
depend.
''All political paHies here recog-
nize that this bin is in harmony
with the spirit of service that per-
neates the life and purposes of
this administration. The same
underlie this bill as are
he foundation of public education
md all other governmental enter
prises for the common good of
society and humanity. All the
wealth of the country is taxed to
pay for these enterprises and all
he wealth of the country should
De taxed for the purpose of build
ng roads for the rich and the poor,
ior the citv man and the country
nan without reference to the
financial standing of either. The
progressive city man is as much
concerned in building country
'oads to the home of the farmer
is is the farmer himself. The
,ity mans property should be
;axed to build the country roads.
The recognition of this princi-
1le makes road building not only
state, but a federal question and
'ne that deserves and demands
eady and liberal support by this
government. There is no compe-
ition between the city and the
country. The rural and the urban
,itlzens are to be the thorough
oreds of the centuries as they go
land-in- hand down the ages. each
by the prosperity of the
,ther, and each gladly lifting the
burden from the other as they
opether work out the deStinieS of
he nation in establishing easy and
universal communication among
III classes of society, universal
and brotherhood among
.z:.o.oOl l,>,,o onl xr,,l1;n1. |