Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-12-08
HARD: SURFACED
ROADS WOULD Be
OF GREAT VALUE
Paved Highways Mean Auto
Freight Lines Throughout
State; Brings Farmer
Closer to Town.

The Nebraska Good Roads asso-
citation, organized under auspices OF
The Omaha Auto club, is the most
progressive movement before the
people Of Nebraska today. The
primary object of the association
Is to place field manager in the
'tate who will, by community talks,
,rystalize sentiment toward hard
,oads.
A Board OF Directors meeting was
ield after the Good Roads conven-
lion, Tuesday, at which a legislative
committee was appointed, composed
If E. G. McGilton, Francis A. Bro
gan, both of Omaha; Judge Albert
Of Columbus, Bert Mapes of Nor
folk and fifth member to be named
by {. H. Roper, secretary. The
legislative committee will prepare
good roads bills and amend ,nts on
auto theft law for next ~ lature.
w. D. Fisher, director of the as
ISOLATION from the Sixth district,
Is the first to call a meeting in his
section. Fisher is one of the Invest
road boosters in the state, and he
has promised food of applications
10 boost the movement.
TreasurerLS. E. Smyth reports
over $500 collected in membership
fees during the first Is minutes after
the basis OF fees was announced at
the meeting. He also reports that
delegates from over Is commercial
clubs through the state pledged their
club membership.
Individual membership in the as
ISOLATION is S. firm or corporation,
$40; county, chamber of commerce
or highway association, $40; sus-
tanning membership, SIS; life men,
bership, $500.
Kansas Law Good One.
The Kansas road law is one OF the
most equitable ever enacted. The
fact that the Kansas Good Road as
ISOLATION is signing up nearly D.
600 miles Of country highway for
brick, concrete or other hard sur
facing among the farmers, shows
conclusWely that the law is favorable
to all concerned. The Kansas plan
distributes the cost: Fifty per cent
to- the county, rs per cent to the
township or townships through
which the road passes, and Is per
cent to the property owners in the
benefit district. Federal allowance is
deducted first. Kansas makes no
provision for state aid.
Wisconsin has over 1000 miles
of hard surfaced roads, with the re-
suit that their dairy products are
worth annually some $4,000, 900.
Hard roads move the farm that
much closer to market and provides
means for dairy farming. Nebraska
has the same chance to boost its
dairy products into the hundreds OF
millions.
Nebraska is near the top of agri-
cultural states, and at the foot OF
the class in hard roads. Nebraska
has succeeded in spite of her mud
roads. Think what this wonderful
state would be in the list OF pro-
ducers with hard roads.
Mean Much to Farmers.
Hard roads mean saving to
every farmer every year OF any
where from 5000 to $1,000 because
rural motor express lines will fol-
low the hard roads. He doesn't
have to spend his time in running
to town with small jags. He stays
on the farm and looks after the big
crops.
The state that still thinks Of dirt
roads, of dragging and maintaining,
year after year, is going to be an
orphan among it's sister states who
are getting ready to pave and save:
Brick and concrete is not needed
in the far western section OF the
state. Literally tons of excellent
gravel is available for road build
ing purposes.
Cost Low in Kansas.
Down in Kansas some of the
counties are building hard surfaced
roads of permanent nature for the
small cost of about four cents on
the dollar. Isthere farmer in Ne
bras,.a who wouldn't be willing to
give three times that every year for
a road he can travel every day OF the
year? =,
Paved roads have demonstrated
a saving of from $50 to SIS a year
to a motorist.
Trucks and automobiles are now
as much a part of the business
equipment OF a farm as the tele-.
phone, the rural mail, We binder,
the threshing machine or the planter.
Good roads are coming. There is
no way to stop them. One way to
hurry them, and save, is to quit
grouching about the mud, join the
association and help pull the whole
state out Of the slime.
In the past 20 years probably
SS0,000000 have been spent on Ne.
braska roads, dragging, grading and
maintaining, year after year. Most
of the grade is either washed away
by the rain or blown away by the
winds. Let's pave and save.
Distributing Station is