St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1916-12-16
THE EVANGELINE HIGH.
WAY"

IN u news columns today APP
pears an account of the meeting
of the recently formed Eyanga-
line Highway Association. This
is the second meeting of that as
ISOLATION to be held in this city
and from the tenor Of the speech
.es and the incidental talk we
should judge that the highway
will soon be a reality.
Louisiana has taken the front
rank In the matter Of better
roads. The doctrine has been
spread far and wide over this do
main and we believe that even
the most ignorant and i~lliterate
of our population has begun to re-
alize the vast benefits to be de-
rived from pulling Louisiana
out Of the mud People hate
like holy smoke to pay taxes but
they will have to face, sooner or
later, the dire, grim fact that III
order to have certain necessities
of modern civilization they will
be compelled to dig down into
their jeans and pay for il.
Right now, while we would
like to see the state "pulled out of
the mud we are primarily in
ferested ia pulling st. Landry
out and to that end, and as one
BE the primary steps, the Evange-
line Highway is endorsed in full.
NE have already tested the gray
roads built here some years ago
and while they may not come mp
10 the standard they have gone q
way til nrnyihg to fhe most
epieaI that they are far betfef.
a1s he StreHl9s IF mud we hal
before tha4e roads were blfilt.
AIonr Thu route of tbs Evange-
hue Hiphway lies Bayon Boefl
one Of The most fertile sections
I'll fhe lnion. Its fSbayoa roads
iave been noted for generations
as smooth as glass in dry
weather, absolutely impossible
during periods of heavy rainfall.
FARMERS could not navigate
when the roads became Doggy.
They perforee must remain at
home. Long years Of travelling
over-or, rather. through-thls
sea Of mud has convinced these
people Of the necessity of better
roads. They are in this project,
heart and soul. and while they
are leading the van for better
roads, can the people of Opelou-
sas and the second ward stand
idly by when their interests, too,
are ait stake?
WE secure schools by yotlny
special taxes. We maintain these
schools by voting more special
taxes. We willingly fote anoth-
er special tax for railroads and
other semi-publie enterprises.
Then why should we hesitate to
vote a tax for road Improvement,
An Improvement, as MI. Dubuls-
son well said Thursday, will be
our Improvement and our chill
dren j property for generations
Land values are based on the
land IS nearness to markets. Ten,
hfteen or more miles away from
Il town or railroad, with an I'M
passahle road between, places a
low value on rich and well I'M
proyed soil. Let the road inter
pening be improved and placed
Ia such physical condition that the
farmer can get over it with wag-
on, buggy or automobile any day
Ill the year and that particular
farm Immediately jumps IN value
and i possible purchaser will pay
more for it. These r concrete
facts, and the sooner the land
owners realize it the better off
they will be.
When, next month, the Evange-
line Highway Association APP
pears before the police jury OF st.
Landry with a request for the
calling of a special election TO
vote the tax and issue bonds to
construct the road the people and
fax-payers whom this tax will at
ect should be wise to the move
and give it hearty cooperation.
While we are living in the TWEEN
sieth century, century OF civil
ization and marvellous develop
ment-yet we must remember
that the Romans, under julius
Caesar, more than two thousand
years ago, built "good Dads" III
both Gaul and England and that
these roads endure, even unto
this day.
It would take pages and pages
of newspaper space to dllate OH
|fhemany advantages of construct
ING this Evangeline Highway, but
that the move to that end is a
wise b and well-timed. goes al