The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1920-04-08
GOOD ROADS EPOCH
Indications That System of Hard
Surfaced Roads Will Extend
Throughout Country.
Farmers Are the Greatest Sufferers
From Poor Roads-They Lose
Millions Annually.

Millions Annually.
The country is entering on period
of road building. Projects which were
planned during the war are being put
into effect. The federal government
has made large appropriations, to be
spent conformity with appropriations
by the various states. Good roads
have become a watchword of postwar
progress.
There is occasion for reflection in
the fact that the greatest of ancient
empires was conspicuous for it's road
building. The Roman roads were the
railways and telegraphs Of an age
that did not know steam and electrici-
ty. They were the pathways of the
imperial couriers and the imperial le-
gions. These roads were the girders
that held the empire together. It is
customary today to admire the Ro-
mans for their practical sagacity, no.
where better exemplifed than in their
road building. i
In a manner history repeats itself
in our newly bestirred zeal for con-
structing good highways. What to
the Romans was national necessity
has become for US an urgent need !:
and this by virtue of modern inven-
tion-the motor car Much advance
ment will grow out of the "motor
age and this advancement will be
contingent upon the attention we give
to the improvement of our roads.
Those of us who have made obser-
vations for two decades have seen Won
drops changes resulting directly from
the use of the pleasure automobile.
Once the city was the city and the
country was the country. Today they
merge into one another. The city
man knows the country as never be-
fore-is glad to have access to it and
to live in it when possible. The coun-
try man knows the city and frequents
it often. Small villages of yesterday
have become the rural metropolises
that one finds here and there, every
wfts1e. This is all good, for it Is. well
that a nation be knit together in the
spirit of mutual understanding and in
a reciprocity Of advantages.
But there are better arguments for
good roads than those which apply
merely to the pleasure car. We are
told, on the authority of the govern
ment, that farmers lose $300,OOO,OOO
yearly IN marketing their crops be-
cause of bad roads. That is too much
to waste. We should CONTEMPLATE
this figure in connection with the high
cost Of living.
There is no more serious problem
before us today than the matter of
reducing the cost Of getting the prod
ucts Of the farm to the table of the
consumer. One step, at least, in the
solution is plain-better roads.
AS an instrument Of economy the
motor truck has not yet come into it's
own. Efficient servant as it is in GER
tain restricted realms, it now awaits
the further development of interurban
and country highways to reach the
measure of it's full attainment. 1t has
power and speed that put it outside
the class of the horse-drawn vehicle,
and nimbleness and fexibility which
gives it certain advantage over the
railways. 1t is our expectation to see
It assume more and more the function
OF the "short haul" as it's peculiar
province, in part relieving the rail-
ways of those duties which they are
least able to perform and in part ex-
banding the field of our national
transportation system.
All speed to. the good road move
nent! It will cheaper our methods Of
distribution and help to bring the peo-
pie Of our country closer to each other.
It may be less spectacular than some
If our other issues, but it strikes deep
nto the roots Of fundamental progress.
In Minnesota the way to obtain
;hese hard-surfaced roads is to vote
:or the Babcock amendment at the
1ext election and in the meantime put
:orth your best efforts in boosting the
plan. Start right now-it is none too
early to begin.