Omaha daily bee., 1914-06-07
ROADS PARAMOUNT ISSUE
Country Must Build Better Roads for
transportation Facilities.
IMPROVE THE FARM METHODS
Improvement in Htehways I'm
variabIy Followed NJ the I'm
provement Of FarmIns
Methods.


The building Of good roads is the one
biggest and most important factor which
this country must consider in the next
few years." says John 4. WHY'S, presl.
dent Of the willys-overland company.
The improved highway is the one means
OF salvation for the poor man. for In
these days OF high cost Of living We
must look 20 the cheaper transportation
OF foodstuffs as our way out. We can no
longer expect to better our condition
through a greater supply Of necessit e..
for every effort we have made toward
lowering the cost Of foodstuffs heretofore
has been met with the response that the
United States is now about as intensvely
cultivated as Il can be. In other words.
our people are no longer turning 70 the
country in an effort 60 produce a larger
amount OF food. Therefore We must lace
the problem Of getting along with the
same amount that is now produced.
'-The only sloution left for us is 10 cut
our cost OF production and delivery. fhe
best way 10 accomplish this is TO provide
good roads, for we have already had
many demonstrations OF how good roads
will work to our advantage
parts OF our country in the last few
years has been invariably followed 5y
better living conditions. Where the ros'.s
leading into large city have been i'm
proved, we have seen an increased supply
OF foodstuffs on the local markets ami
a larger number OF farmers bringing their
products into the city. This, OF neces-
sity. results in lower prices for the
products and a long step toward better
living conditions.
''on the other hand, the improvement
OF roads throughout the country is in.
variably followed by an Improvement In
farming methods. The agrlculturlst who
heretofore devoted his energies TO graz
ing and the production OF rough rood
stuffs, such as corn, 10 now turning 20
what Is known as market gardening. He
is raising potatoes, beans. peas ana other
commodities that are in everyday do
mand. simply because he can get them
TO market where heretofore markets were
denied him. IL is no uncommon sight
now to see farmers driving eighteen or
twenty miles to market with loads u
produce which. before the highways were
improved. were denied the consumer. The
deal to do with increasing this supply, but
even this vehicle would be helpless with
out highways on which TO run
For Intensive FHSmIns.
''Theadyent OK good roads, too. has
brought about another revolution--that OF
intensive farming. The countries Of the
cid world have always regarded us as A
cfiminally wasteful people, In that tho
,laoduct raised on 100 acres OF land IN
this country was often less than they
produced on ten acres. Good roads have
changed this condition. The American
farmer now finds that he will get a
greater return from one acre Of land IN
tensiveiy cultivated than ten acres Harmed
in the old slipshod methods would here
tofore produce. This intensive farming IL
the direct result OF good roads, for where
the farmer heretofore found il necessary
to cultivate crops which made a large
bulk so that infreauent trips to market
we're profitable, he now finds that he can
take small load TO the consumer as
often as he desires
Good roads are an undlsgulsed bless
ing and this everyone who has given the
matter any thought Will admit They not
only promote increased Industrial actlv-
ity, and therefore better the living condl-
tions OF thousands OF our city dweliefs,
but they provide an improved social lie
for people who live In the country. The
family which has access TO good road
and. therefore, quicker and more pleas
ant trips. goes to church oftener visits
the neishbors oftener and attends farmer
club meetings more frequently No one
can deny that ell OF these are important
factors In the farmers life"