The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1917, 1915-03-09
EFFECT OF GOOD ROADS
ON RURAL CONDITIONS
JUSTIFY CULTIVATION OF
CROPS WHICH ARE NOT
OTHERWISE MARKET.
ABLE
THE VALUE OF
AUTOMOBILES
Highways of France Considered
Best in World-Built Scienti.
fically and Scrupulously
Maintained

Admittedly. good roads are imuor-
tant to the financial. social and edu-
catiOnal welfare OF any and every
community They decrease cost OF
transportation and justify the Guilt
vation oi corps not otherwise mar
kctah,c They allow Il longer period
OF time for marketing. permitting to
be done when prices are most favor
able. They give Il wider choice Of
markets. cquali2c railroad traffic and
mercantile business between different
seasons or the year They permit
more ready intercourse between resi-
dents OF iural communities and be-
tween rural and urban population
They facilitate the consolidation and
extension OF work OF rural schools
and the rural free delivery system.
They tend to solve the great eco
nOmic problem Of The decline OF tine
small farm and the lust of our farmer
boys for city life. These boys. sloat-
10 travel by wheel propelled by hu-
man. animal or mechanical power
and yet sufficiently. liquid to navigate
by boat. rebel against the free coun-
try life and flock Ia the cities. more
often TO become an illustration OF fail
ure than al example Of success.
We have entered Upon new era in
| methods Of transportation. The time
WAS when Il required lavs to make Il
Journey to market over we!l-nigh i'm
passable ronds in oXcarts. The days
were shortened by the horse Ira :" 4
wagon and vehicle. Now 100000 au-
tomobilcs have rcvolutionizcd road
transportation problems. Two million
OF these machines are In the United
States and the annual rate of increase
In automobile building has been near
ly 100 per cent for the last several
years.
Eject Of Motor Transportation.
Journeys to mar''et and home again
nrc now only Il la(ter OF a few hours
TO thousands OF farmers who use their
automobiles. Teams of horses which
are costing money to feed, whether
working or not, can not compete with
motive power consuming fuel cnly
when In use and, yielding increased
marketing service and results.
The time will come when the auto
mObiic Is bound 10 reach It's level OF
legitimate profit: when from being
the luxury OF the rich. 1t will become
the tool of the workman and farmer
The time Is rapidly approaching when
1t Will be tho dominant vehicle for
travel. not merely for pleasure and
heavy trucking in cities. but for the
farmer In his field and In moving pro-
duce along market roads. When that
time arrives the psoplc will not be
denied smooth-surfaced. passablc
roads. The present step In efficient
and economic and Increased produc-
lion and distribution Is to build high
ways OF travel for tho use of our
farmers Of the means now at hand
and prepare for the greater efficiency
and increase later surely to come.
Every civilized nation on the globe
has sooner or later found that a sys-
tenn OF permanent roads was absolute
ly essential To its proper develop
mont. Many years ago Europe realiz-
cd this necessity and an era Of road
construction was begun, and has con-
tinued, until today there Is no great
country in Europe which does not en-
Joy an adequate system of national
highways. reinforced by systems Of
local highways. even IN their very
smallest units of government
Eject In England.
Caesar bound together the Roman
Empire with system OF $4,000 miles
of rond. extending from Scotland to
Jerusalem. roads that the world has
marveled and wondered about ever
since. Caesar knew that passable
roads were essential to the prosperity
and development of his empire and
that in no better way c,,uld he please
the people and farmers Of his day
and time. The great military
thoroughfare reaching from ROME to
Brundinsium. known as the Appian
Wey. was but fifteen feet vide and
was so well built az TO he classed as
one OF the marvelF.
The growth of traffic in England
which forced expensive Toad improve
ment caused the county councils, as
their subdivision officials nre known
to complain at the burden, and a pop
ular demand swept England for a
central authority having jurisdiction
over highways. and the development
and road Improvement funds act was
passed. Great Britain raises revenue
by licensing oil vehicles and by an in
ternai revenue tax; on motor spirits or
petrol. meaning gosoline. This reve-
pue tax fsy B. cents per gallon. This
board also has the right to make loans
to communities for local road i'm
provement.
The various classification OF roads
In England are maintained by 1898
separate authorities. the corporation
OF London and the London County
~