Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-28
GOOD ROAD BUILDING
PROBLEM Of COUNTRY
Better Living Conditions Follow In
: provement Of National
Highways.

The building of good roads Is the one
biggest and most important factor which
this country must consider In the next
few years 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 to the cheaper
transportation of foodstuffs as our way
out.
We can no longer expect to better our
condition through a great supply of
necessities, for every effort we have
made toward lowering the cost of food
stuffs heretofore has been met with the
response that the United States Is now
about as intensively cultivated as 1t can
be. In other words our people are no
longer turning to the country in an effort
to produce a larger amount of food.
Therefore we must face the problem of
getting along with the same amount
that is now produced
The only solution left for US is to
cut our cost of productian and delivery
The best way to accomplish this Is 70
provide good roads. for We have ALREADY
many demonstrations of how good ROADS
will work to our advantage.
Easy Access to Markets.
The improvement of highways in many
parts of our country in the last few
years has been invariably followed by
better living conditions. Where the roads
leading into a large city have been i'm
proved we have seen an increased sup
ply of foodstuffs on the local markets
and a larger number of farmers bringing
their products into the city. This. of
necessity, 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 agrfculturist
who heretofore devoted his energies to
grazing and the production of rough
foodstuffs. such as corn, is now turn
ing to what is known as market gar
dening- He is raising potatoes. beans,
peas and other commodities that are
in everyday demand. simply because
he can get them to market, where
heretofore markets were denied him.
Long Drives Now Possible.
It Is no uncommon sight now to see
farmers driving eighteen or twenty
miles to market with loads of produce,
which. before the highways were i'm
proved. were denied the consumer. The
automobile, it is true. has had a great
deal to do with increasing this sup
helpless without highways on which to
run.
The advent of good roads. too, has
brought about another revolution-that
of intensive farming. The countries of
the old world have always regarded us
a wasteful people, in that the product
raised on 100 acres of land in this
country was often less than they pro-
duced 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 intensively cultivated, than
ten acres farmed in the old slipshod
methods would heretofore produce.
Good Roads Insure Dispatch.
This intensive farming is the direct
result of good roads, for where the
farmer heretofore found it necessary
to cultivate crops which made a large
bulk. SO that his infrequent trips to
market were profitable. he now finds
that he can take a small load to the
consumer as often as he desires
Good roads are an undistinguished
blessing. and this every one who has
given the matter any thought will ad-
industrial activity. and therefore bet
ter living conditions of thousands of
our city jewellers, but they provide an
improved social life for people who
live in the country.
The family which has access to a
good road. and therefore quicker and
more pleasant trips. goes to church
and attends farmer club meetings more
frequently No one can deny that all
of these are important factors in the
farmers life.