The Mena weekly star., 1919-02-13
JOE LEWIS ON HIGHWAYS.

All "knockers" might as well step aside. The Jefferson and the Will liams highways are coming. But If the farming element of this county don't take hold and put curb bits on some of our boosters and hold them back we are destined to become hope lessly and forever in debt. Schip will be worth 50c on the dollar, with our taxes doubled and only one highway built thru a part of the county which already has a railroad and is serving as a good makeshift for anything we want to ship north or south.
 The commercial interests are push ing the Jefferson Highway thru, and the farmers along the line will come in for the greater share of taxation.
 What the farmers want is lateral roads, and if the same amount of money that is going to be used in building the Jefferson Highway was used in building lateral roads east and west from these little towns all would be well, and the majority of people greatly benefited Most all farmers know this. But many of them are afraid to butt up against men of power and wealth.
 Our highway boosters for the most part are men of honor and a jolly good set to be with. But if they can lord it over an opponent with their money, influence and personality. they will do it. It is nothing but human nature. We are all of the same mold But a new spirit of Social Conscience is about to manifest itself in this country, and now is the time for the farmer to assert his rights. When our highway promoters see that the farmers are determined to have later al roads and continue to demand that all personal property come in for it's share of road taxes, they will yield.
 This country is going thru a great crisis. No man knows the outcome. The war cost us $23, ,000,000,000. Eu- rope is to be fed and a thousand other things are pressing us all at the same time. Debts are to be paid, children are to be schooled, we are all sick half the time, so there is the doctor bills, then comes the tax collector, grocery statements and God knows what not. It is a pity but what we could all lay down and sleep for about 20 years and get rested up and take new start. We are all used up thru trying to be progressive. Life is resting heavy on most peoples shoul- ders, and breaking point is about to take place. We need roads, certainly. Any man knows that. Even our poor old horses and automobile owners know 1t. But let us be cautious else our debts will eat us up.
 What we need more than anything else is for some of these town and city boosters to come out and go to work on the farm. Too many people In this country are becoming possess cd with the idea that they are too nice to do manual labor. Back to the farm should be the slogan of every city in this nation. o. c. Roberts says that Civilization begins and ends with the plow." It is a fact. Our farmers are producing three fourths of all raw materials that en- ter our factories. But he is not get ting three-fourths of his share of the money. Most of it is drifting to big centers. where socialism, and l. W. W.s are hatched and nurtured.
 If a man wants to know the worth of 3 dollar, let him earn it from the soil. Then he will think twice before he spends 1t for any purpose. These eooi-headed, conservative farmers that boosters" call "knoekers' are the backbone of this nation Without them We would go like Egypt. Baby lon; Rome and Germany.
 Now to business: Let as build bridges and culverts over the county where needed most and make the lief. l