Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1915-11-26
GOOD ROADS
FOR EVERYBODY
Farmers Depend On Them to
Get Produce 10 Market.
NECESSARY TO TIE CITIES.
Adequate Highways Are of Highest
Importance to Both Country Pro-
ducers and City Consumers How

Importance to Both Country Pro-
ducers and City Consumers How
Ohio Has Solved Its Road Problem.
In the early days good roads were
not altogether necessary because fam
lily wants were supplied by family
work, says William \. Hite in the
American ~Agriculturist. Things are
different today. The farmer depends
on roads, and Upon good roads, to get
his products to market. and cities de-
pend upon good roads to get their prod
ucts to the country. The road, there
fore, while of most interest to the
owner of adjoining premises, is of just
as vital interest to his n%eighbors.
Where roads are bad the farmer mar
kets his products before the roads
break up by freezing and thawing. You
see, it is impossible to yet crops to
the railroads through mud. Rushing
to market mt the end of the harvest
destroys natural balance by allowing
dealers to depress prices in the fall
because of. excessive offerings. and of
boosting prices in winter because the
supply can be controlled. This is a
vital factor. showing that good roads
pay both country producers and city
consumers. Farmers have demanded
good roads so as to get their children
to school. to church. and for themselves
and their families to enjoy what mod
ern civilization has dealt out to them.
Bad roads mean isolation, and isola-
ton and bad roads combined drive
boys and girls from the farm. Ohio
solved these problems through legisla-
ton providing for state aid and en-
enlargement in road building. 1t did
this by ascertaining, first, that approx
mately $4,000 miles of road were in
the state. 1t found also that 5000
miles. or approximately one-tenth, con
nected up towns and cities every
where. With this network of high
ways every section of the state was
connected with every other section.
Thus every city and village of any size
in the state is reached and every
township Is crossed. The cost of build
ing these roads was divided equally
between the state and the county in
which the road was built. OF the
county's half 10 per cent is paid by the
adjoining property owners and 10 per
cent by the township in which the road
is situated. A levy of one-half mill
on all the taxable property of the
state produces approximately $500
900 a year. This plan avoids the oh
jections urged by many against a state
bond issue. 1t is the policy of the
state to pay as it goes. A bond issue
is extravaganza This plan stands for
economy. The appropriation is sutfi-
cient to convert at least 700 miles of
summer ruts and winter holes into
splendid all veal round thoroughfares.
There is also in Ohio a system of
i%ntercounty roads. Three-fourths of
the money raised is divided equally
among the lightweight counties, giving
to each county about $4,000 of state
aid each year. In addition to this,
the county raises 100000 for the same
kind of road. The state also provides
for main market roads, twelve in num-
Der, that run across the state from
east to west and from north to south
and one diagonally from northeast to
southwest. These roads connect all
the principal cities of the state. About
1000 miles of main market roads are
included in the Ohio system. Convicts
may be employed on roads. thus bring
ing into use a state charge that con-
tributes to state improvement and h u
avoids competition with free labor In
other pursuits.
l believe that Ohio has entered upon
an era Of road building that will not
stop until every mile of the intercoun-
ty system has been improved and not
only will these trunk lines be i'm
proved, but innumerable features will
be built to them. Every mile of i'm
proved road begets another mile, and
when the movement is started it is
sure to continue because improved
roads are their own press agents.