Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-05-12
"FARM-GARDEN"
DAY ON MAY "a
Governor Issues a Proclama-
ton Changing Good Roads"
Day This Month

Governor Brumbaugh for May "a, in
was to-day officially changed to
Farm and Garden Day" by the Gov
ernor The people of Pennsylvania
are called upon to devote that day to
food production and to work in their
cwn gardens or go out and assist
their neighbors.
The Brumbaugh proclamation says
that because of the war men in charge
of roads have started work much ear
lier, the state Highway Department
having ordered out all of its men
| as soon as weather conditions per-
mitted and that therefore much val
liable work has been done on the
roads. The need of the hour, says
the Governor, is preparedness in food
and agriculture, and that Farm Day"
is proclaimed to stimulate interest in
increase of the food supply.
In his proclamation tho Governor
says:
| When the proclamation for Good
| Roads Day was issued on February
I
events of the next two months. War
forced itself upon the country; men
are rushing to the colors; conscrip-
tion is certainty within the next
| few weeks; every industry is busy
getting ready for the conflict; every
man is doing his bit in the way OF
preparedness-the thought of the ma
/ tion is turned to war.
"As part of the plan to meet all
i n0GSihla in IN 70 70
| Highway Department several weeks
ago placed its entire resources to
| work in the repair of the roads
| throughout the state, with the results
that the highways never before have
been in such fine condition so early
in the year. Following the lead set
by the state government, township
| supervisors all over the state have
started work on the roads much ear
lier than usual, with surprising re-
suits in the way of smooth. passable
| highways, ready for summer traffic.
This has been accomplished since
| the issuing of the Good Roads Day
proclamation. When war came the
| people did not wait for Good Roads
Day. They made it a Good Roads
Spring. with every day a good roads
day. These splendid results have been
| brought about by hard work and eff
iitiNhAt pdlllONlC CO-OptIdllOh dilOhS
all road officials, every one of whom
recognizes fully his responsibility. He
is on duty every day; when called
upon he will be found at his post
ready to meet, to the full measure
of his ability, any extraordinary de-
mands of war. The people have re-
sponded to the call in advance of
the day appointed. They know the inn
portance of good roads. and every
I i, II
The full purpose of the proclama-
tion having been achieved in advance
of the appointed day, the citizens of
the commonwealth now are ready to
turn to more pressing matters of pre-
| paredness. Their loyalty to their
/ commonwealth and their civic pride
would cause thousands to leave their
usual occupations in order to devote
| the day to road work, when uneX-
pected developments of the past two
months have made it more essential
that the energies of the whole people
be turned into channels of greater
necessities.
LAS has been repeatedly emphasiz-
ed in the public press the food prob
| lem is the paramount one at the pres
| ent time. The country does not rea-
! lize the seriousness of the situation
! confronting us. The people do not,
! as yet, Understand llldI lne SUCCESS
! of the United States, in the war just
entered upon. depends as much upon
! food as it does upon munitions. If
| victory is to come to us, without un-
| told suffering to our people, they
must be taught AT ONCE the neces-
sity of growing greater crops. This
must be brought home to them by a
climax that will arouse them to in
stant action. How better could this
be done than by having a Farm Day?'
Since time is so precious just now, it
! is probable that all parties in inter-
est would be willing, as a patriotic
/ duty. to substitute for Good Roads
Day. on May twenty fourth, a Farm
/ and Garden Day.
! What is more fitting than the set
ting apart of this day for every
body to leave his usual occupation and
turn his energies to farming or gar
dening? Raising corn and beans and
potatoes is preparedness. 1t is the
kind of preparedness that cannot be
bought. 1t is a preparedness that
takes time and a supreme trust in
that will win the war.
Therefore /, Martin Grove Brum-
baugh, Governor of this Common
wealth. do hereby designate and set
aside Thursday, May "a, 1917, as
Farm and Garden Day, and call upon
! the people of this state to devote
their energies upon that day to an in
crease of food production by work
ing in their own gardens or assist
ing their neghbor."