Charlevoix county herald., 1915-08-14
Hastings, Michigan.

and more substantially built than
those which carry less traffic and
hence our legislature has added to the
width and the efficiency of what they
call our Trunk line roads.
The Michigan State Grange has
usually been right on most of the
problems affecting the agricultural in
.terests of the state. They have stood
against extravaganza and unnecessary
appropriations, and for the building
up of our agricultural college, the
pride of our state along the lines of
industrial education. They have been
right, as rule, on all the great moral
questions that affect the development
of our people, but | can not believe
that the Grange Of Michigan has a
proper understanding of the Trunk
line highway system as it is called.
The Grange at its last convention at
the city of Battle Creek urges the use
of every honorable endeavor to secure
business" roads that will serve the
best interests of both producer and
consumer. Just what is meant by
business roads we will try and see a
little later. While the Grange, both
State and National, declare in favor
of Federal, State and County aid to
country road improvement, they are
nevertheless opposed to the Trunk
Line System, so called, and are in
favor of what they term business
roads or Farm to Market Roads" as
Congressman Shackelford, Of Mis-
souri,, who coined the words says. I
want to tell you little more about
Mr.. Shackelford too little later. The
State Grange is opposed to bonding
and believes in the doctrine, "Pay as
you CO." Personally have no quarrel
with them, although l do not sub
scribe entirely to this doctrine.
The large and populace cities have
always been able, and always will de-
pend for transportation upon the
great Trunk line railroads. These
centers can get along fairly well with
a local system of country roads.
Roads that Congressman Shackelford
has been pleased to call Farm to
Market Roads" Roads that connect
the farms with the nearest railroad
station. This is the system that to-
day is largely responsible, in my judg-
ment, for the cry that has gone up all
over our land "back to the soil" 1t
is this system that has steadily taken
from the farm community its best;
not only in financial resources but
more important, in it's social and re-
ligious life.
A great metropolis with Trunk line
railroads and just enough local high
ways to reach the farmer and to bring
in the products of his toll and "the
miracle is wrought"
You may cry "back to the soil'
until you are blue in the face, and
the cry falls on deaf ears. 1t would
seem to me that for the aggrandize-
ment of the American cities, we have,
as a people. sacrificed quite enough.
There has been a steady drain of
wealth and population to these great
commercial centers. The boys have
left the farms everywhere, farm life
has become unattractive. We need
not go out of our own state for a
shining illustration. The great city
of Detroit has grown in wealth and
population for the past decade as but
few American cities have. We are
proud of this wonderful city, "where
life is worth living" This great city
throbbing with industry has made the
very state tremble with its machinery
and thrift.
Ito be continued)