The Washington times., 1919-09-20

| roads that are no more at to travel
I over than the marshlands or the quick
sands. Yet we expect our automobiles
and motor trucks to transport heavy
/ loads over such roads and not have to
pay for II in the end.
Every consumer in your city or
/ town buying a dozen egRs or loas
/ Of bread. suit Of clothes. a pair of
] shoes or piece OF furniture, has to
pay for transporting goods over such
roads. Transportation cost Is a part
/ Of the cost OF every article before II
I is sold. 1t is as necessary a part OF
the cost as making that article or the
material that goes into it.
Added Price.
Therefore, the more it costs to get
that article into your city, the more
will have to be added on to the pur-
chase price for you to pay.
Again, have you ever noticed the
usual conditions Of property situated
on poor roads. the farm building in a
run down condition. unkempt and
untidy? Compare this. picture with
the property past which improved
roads run. Usually you have the op-
posite-the buildings are kept up, the
the fences are in the best OF condi-
tion. there seems to be municipal
pElQGt which - uDAulnk more OF less
than a reflection OF the good roads.
Investors seem to reEilEe that. when
they are paying for improved roads
the property past which the good
roads run Is likewise improved and
the natural result Is an increase in
realty values Good roads invite
travel as well as Increase Il. II has
been found that in those municfpali-
ties that have been noted for their
road improvements traffic has in-
crease Is composed Of vehicles that
formerly traversed other routes
through other communities, but which
naturally abandoned them when the
new roads offered a saving not only
in time and labor, but in operating
upkeep.
Consider just what this cost means
to the other communities. Formerly
these vehicles stopped at garages in
other townsville drivers put up at
other hotels--they purchased supplies
at other stores-necesHities were pur-
chased in the community in which
they were stopping. All Of which
brought increased trade to the mer.
chants Of that community.
Business Gees with II.
When these vehicles were attracted
elsewhere by the new and improved !
roads, all this business went with it, |
consequently the merchants OF that |
vicinity were paying a terrific price |
because they did not keep up with |
the march Of progress and improve |
their roads
Again consider the community
without good roads-it costs more to /
transport goods and supplies over /
these roads, necessitating the mer-
ah ~. -
modities to the consumer. The house
wife has TO pay because Il costs more /
to transport the goods over the poor
roads.
The consumer in the city which has
good roads buys the same goods at
a lower price because Il did not cost /
as much to haul and deliver them as
IL did II the vehicles had to use un-
improved roads.
Again we come to the worst months
Of the year-We are on the threshold
of winter in which every destructive
and destroying element Is let loose.
The necessity for good roads has been
preached the year round. Moving pic
lures, catalogG, every conceivable
form Of publicity has been used to
call attention 20 the advantages OF
good roads over the Disadvantages Of
poor ones. That this publicity has
done a great deal Of good Is evident
from the immense amount OF construc-
ton work that has been going on and
is now going on In all parts Of the
country.
Communities that formerly were
Isolated from the outside world and
had to depend on the uncertain sched-
ules OF short line railroads, are now
IN direct communication with distrib-
uting points, but there are still hun
dreds and thousands Of communities
that have not "5een the handwriting