Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1915-05-26
WOMEN And
GOOD ROADS
Working 10 Improve Local
Conditions EvsFyxhere.
CAMPAIGN OF EDUCATION.


clMPAI6N VI euUGAIIUN.
,,.dsr the Lssdsrship 81 the Weman's
n.esrtmscs ss the American Nigh.
v,y Association the Country Women
A., Forming orssps - study Lseai
n..d Laws end Their administrator
An over the country women. under
n. leadership Of the woman's depart
rent OF the American Highway asso
r,.t,cn, are forming groups to study
The local road laws and their admin.
..tntion. to the end that they not only
mar work to improve local conditions.
bot may prepare themselves to ask Of
their legislators changes In our sys-
,,m of road management which viii
make our road administration ~ EN-.
cent a. IL that Of any other success
full @big business"
since the road laws vary in the DIFF.
f.rrnt states and sometimes even In
the different counties OF the same
STATE this study Of local conditions IL
I necessary preliminary to any intelli-
sent efforts to improve the local roads.
In general. however. Il may be said
that conditions vary more In degree
than In kind Nearly everywhere the
students are finding road laws mod
e,ed after those Of England In the
DAYS Of Queen Elizabeth. Because OF
this antiuuated code the units Of ad.
n.nistratIon are nearly everywhere too
ANAL TO finance economically and ef.
fectively the necessary road work.
ne road officials are too numerous.
and Of these ofiactais no special knowi-
edge Is required.
Selected for their personal or polit
!cal affiliations. most Of these men nei
TIER know the tirst principles Of road
building nor appreciate the necessity
ofsystematie maintenance Of all roads.
Nearly everywhere. therefore. are cost.
" roads going or gone 10 ruin. though
the bonds issued TO build them ARE still
AS good az new" And the earth roads
are neglected until hundreds Of thou
sands Of miles of them arc impossible
for months Of the ycar.
In their present condition our coun
try roads levy upon all raw materials
an annual mud tax" OF more than
quarter Of a billion dollars. This Is
the day OF rising prices. when. ms the
IL IN
much TO get married as I, did ten
years ago. aud you get no more for II.
NONE should be indifferent 10 an un.
necessary addition to the high cost Of
living and loving.
While waiting the fundamental re
forms the county groups are. therefore.
working hard to improve local condi
tions through better administration and
better maintenance OF the roads. \
campaign OF education IN waged. and
By tact aud persuasion a .gentlemen's
agreement" Is sought whereby the
county roads are put In charge OF one
efficient man. Where this concentrn
tion af money. authority and response
bii,y is impossible Of accomplishment
tie women are working for more
knowledge Of roads and more adequate
road maintenance on the part Of the
powers that be.
officials are especially urged to EN-
ploy small body OF laborers under
expert supervision. who. weather per
hitting, work continuously upon the
roads. This Is method OF road main
tenance SO superior to the usual Gus
tom Of calling out an army Of untraln
Cd men once or twice year that any
community into which this French
fashion Is introduced by American
women should indeed rise up and call
them blessed
And everywhere there are earth roads
The women are preaching the split log
drag. for their studies have informed
Them that the mud tax can be material
" reduced and thousands OF miles OF
earth roads made serviceable through
Out the year by the systematic use OF
tnis simple implement. which almost
any man can make Of materials found
on his own farm. Dragged just before
the ground freezes. some earth roads.
untii the thaw comes. are as hard and
smooth as II paved with stone.