Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-04-08
High20ays First Of All.

Now that the agitation for an extra session
of the Legislature to pass bills creating a
state highway system has about subsidized, we
not hearing so much on the subject of
highways, and in this connection it is not
amiss to observe that the press and public
men of the state, as we'll as the civic bodies
and other organizations which have mani
tested lively concern, should not allow the
great and growing highway sentiment to suf-
fer slump in the interim between now and
the converting Of the regular session.
Highway legislation ought to be made, and
doubtless will be made, the first and fore
most item on the program Of the General AS
sembly. 1t ought to be given the right-of-
way ahead of all other subjects, and the Leg
islature ought not to rest content until it has
enacted measure or set of measures COM
plete in every detail. Whatever amendments
of the Constitution are necessary to give
Georgia adequate state highway system
ought to be passed without hesitation or
cavil. Georgias Constitution is undoubtedly
a great document, worthy of all the reverence
bestowed upon it, but no intelligent citizen
would contend that it guffices for the needs
of the present generation where highways are
concerned
In no department can the state of Georgia
progress as it should progress, and as the
forward-looking sntiment of the people
wants it to progress, unless and until we pro-
vide ourselves with a great system Of state
highways.
EducatlOnal progress, WHICH Is more uS0u-
ed than any other, cannot go forward at
rapid rate until the people in the several
counties are provided with the means OF
transportation back and forth to school. Ex-
perts who have studied the subject are able
to demonstrate by mathematical calcula-
lions that county can pay dividend on the
cost of good roads with money saved in the
operating cost of it's schools, and at the same
time provide much higher standard of COM
mon school education. One of the most diff
ficult problems of the typical country school,
from a scientific educational standpoint, is to
arrange the classes in any sort of logical
gradation. One teachers time and attention
are pathetically Inadequate to meet the needs
of an assorted variety Of students. What the
counties need are graded schools, housed in
modern buildings with all cOnVenlences, with
classes logically graded and each one in
charge of a competent teacher, with attrac-
tive Fairgrounds where the students can in
dulge in sports and games, real school
house which can be turned into a sOcial'cen-
ter and adapted to all sorts of helpful uses
in season and out of season.
Give a county a fairly adequate system OF
highways and it can provide graded schools
of this type. 1t can operate motor trucks to
transport the children back and forth to
school keeping them warm in cold weather
and dry in wet weather, teaching them an
added lesson in punctuallty, surrounding
their education with elements which make
powerful appeal to their youthful imagna-
source of interest and enjoyment-instead of
the dull and weary grind of long tramps over
bad roads to isolated one-room school
house where a single teacher struggles
against hopeless handicap.
Bibb county recently showed a very SEN
sible appreciation of the relation between
good roads and educational progress by vot-
ing bond issue for the two purposes-one
portion of the bonds to be expended for high
ways and the other portion to be expended
II
better schools above all things, but in order
to get them She will be obliged to build good
roads as a necessary foundation for better
schools.
All other lines of advancement are like
wise dependent modern highways. GeOr-
gia farmers have wasted untold millions OF
dollars in time, labor and wear-and-tear OF
ma ,hinery by attempting to travel over roads
thai we're mud boys in wet weather and clod
hurdles in dry weather. Georgia's full de-
velopment of the possibilities of an organ
lied marketing system, of the utilization OF
the pleasure car and the motor truck and the
tractor of all the other marvellous devices
and inventions of modern times that multiply
tenfOld the producing power OF the lndlVld'
ual. are waiting. on roads.
In previous sessions of the Legislature
there have been attempts to enact a highway
program. These attempts have failed for the
principal reason that rival leaders were Jeal-
Gus of their own particular plans. The time
has come to put aside such petty considera
tions Georgia's tremendous interest in high
way development was recently proven Wher
fifty-ive counties walked up to the table and
offered to expend Immediately some ten mil
lion dollars It is to be hoped that the mem
bers of the Legislature have felt the impulse
and caught the inspiration abroad i'll the
state. To fail at the forthcoming regular
session to give the Empire State of the South
an adequate highway system, complete in
every detail, capable of infinite expansion
would be a monumental neglect of public
dutv