Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-01-02

way to make a liberal appropriation
for the removal of these antiquated
and unsatisfactory burdens upon our
people.
The State-aid highways should be
developed as rapidly as the several
counties will join in this work. There
should be ample funds available to
carry on cooperative work 1t would
be no credit to the State If local in
itiative were to exceed State provi-
sion for this work. There are evil
dences in many counties of a resolute
purpose to impose heavy obligations to
join with the State in building dur
able roads and surely the State is
able and I hope willing to do it's full
share in this valuable service.
The township roads remain the large
mileage of transportation for our
people. They are in many places well
maintained. In others they are not
well maintained. The money paid by
direct tax for roads in the several
townships and boroughs is manifest
ly used for temporary repairs and
each year the work must be repeat
ed. Such a policy has no justification.
The whole matter of local road super
vision and construction requires radi-
cal treatment. A county unit plan
may be the solution. At all events
the vast sum paid to local supervisors
and the money given by the State to
ought to yield larger return in good,
serviceable, permanent highways
We ought to take note of the enter
prise of our people in promoting good
roads and in making contributions for
those roads. Such genuinely helpful
activity ought to be sufficient warrant
to make the largest possible appro-
priation to the highway development
in the State. The patrol system has
been tried and found most economic
and practical 1t needs to be ex-
tended rapidly to cover all improved
sections of our highways. 1t is my
earnest wish to make our highways
attractive that our many miles of
scenic splendor may be reached and
enjoyed by our own people and by
thousands of tourists who would be
attracted here to their delight and to
our advantage were we to make ac-
cessible the beauty of our State. The
definite and practical value of these
roads, especially to our farm life, cam
not too strongly be set forth.
In many cases State highway
passes through an incorporated bor-
ough and it has come to my notice
that some of these boroughs are ur>-
able to make their part of the trunk
line as satisfactory for travel as is
the highway outside these boroughs.
Some boroughs have asked us to ex-
pend State funds to carry the improv-
ed highway over the borough street.
This we are by law prevented from
doing. I suggest that you take under
advisement the wisdom of such change
in the law as will permit the State
funds to be used in whole or in part
to make these great trunk line high
ways through the boroughs as salts
factory and as complete as the other
parts of these trunk lines. 1 believe
these boroughs would welcome this
,f,,N L.
general would be greatly benefited.
Agriculture
Under the Act of 1916sta all the de-
partments of the government having
to do with the care and cultivation
of the soil and the conservation of our
great farm life were placed under one
board of seven and Commissioner
whose function is to give effect to all
agricultural enactments. On the
whole, this has worked well. Time
will greatly improve the quality and
extent of this service. The Depart
ment has steadily in mind a more in
tensive form of specific service to
farmers. We must double the output
of the farms of Pennsylvania. Every
movement to increase the scientific
study OF agriculture at our State Col
lege and the administrative service
by the Department is we'll worth your
the Department are working together
for he good of our farm life. Both
these agencies by cooperation and CO.
ordination of their several functions
each doing the service it can best
do, and each of vital Importance, will
at all times serve our farm life in
any way possible.
One feature of this service is now. of
pressing Importance, namely, the
method of preparing and forwarding
farm products to the best markets
There is too much waste upon our
farms. Our industrial and urban CEN
ters need all the food our farms can
produce and the Department of Agri-
culture wisely senses the need of q
division of markets, whose function
Will be to give practical and definite
information to our farmers in all mat
ters that have to do with the best
means of marketing all the products
of the farm. 1t is vital to our peo-
pie that this be done and urge you
to give this matter your favorable at
tention.
We should also cooperate fully
with the national government in all
it's efforts to improve the agricultural
interests of the country. We have
kept in close touch with this national
service and will continue to support
and supplement it at all times.
Our Charities
Pennsylvania does more humane
things for its dependents than does
any other State. 1t can do more, and
it should. In any program of social
Justice we must not only heed the
need of our active workers but also
the necessity of that great army of
our people who by reason of age, dis
ease, poverty or other untoward cir
cumstances require at the hands of a.
generous people humane treatment
We need more State institutions to
care for our dependents. We have.
by your direction, secured q site for q.
new institution to care for our in
sane in southwestern PENNSYLVANIA,
We need now site for a like eFinstitu-
tion in southeastern PENNSYLVANIA.
together with funds for the erection
of proper buildings at both places. L
am wholly convinced that we should
erect no more wards in which to mass
these unfortunates and further add to
their distress. Medical treatment
has not proven in the light of ex-
perience half so corrective as has
vocational treatment. 1t is mani fesx
that these new institutions should he
developed on the Cottage System. This
should also apply to additional pro-
vision for the feeble-r4lnded and in
some cases to the criminal classes.
[Continued on Page Ill