Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1915-08-11
GOOD. 4 ROADS
FOR 70 EVERYBODY Y: \ :: ! !
Farmers Depend On Them. to
Got Produce TO Market.
NECESSARY TO THE CITIES.

Adequate Highways Arc Of Hishes:
Importance to Both Country Pro-
dueers and City Consumers How
Ohio Has Solved lts Road Problem.
In the early days good roads were
not altogether necessary because fam.
lily wants were supplied by family
work, says William A. 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 juss
as vital interest to his neighbors. 4
Z 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 get crops to
the railroads through mud. Rushing
to market at 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-
couragement In road building. 1t did
this by ascertaining, first, that approx
.mately $1,000 miles of road We're in
the state. It 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 Is 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 $780,
600 a year. This plan avoids the OBJ
jections urged by many. against q state
bond issue. It is the policy Of the
state to pay as it goes. A bond issue
is extravagant. This plan stands for
economy. The appropriation Is sufi-
Client to convert at least 700 miles of
summer ruts and winter holes into
splendid all year round .thoroughfares.
There Is also IN Ohio-a system, OF
intercounty 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 $50, 600 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
1900 miles of main market roads are
included in the Ohio system. Convicts
may be employed on roads, thus bring
ing into use state charge that con.
tributes to state improvement and thus
avoids competition with free labor In |
other pursuits. &@s. z# & 54s @.l4i;
4 I 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.