The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-04-21
Good Roads
lBy ]. Ogden Ar1lloul0

(DN }. IfSucD armour
The country is enterin. u period OF
road building. Projects which were
planned during the WAL are being put
into effect The Federal Government
has made large appropriations, to be
spent conjointly with appropria ations
by the various States. Good roads
have become a watcfl-wOrd of post
war progress.
There is occasion for reflection in
the fact that the greatest Of ancient
empires was conspicuous for its road
building The Roman roads We're the
railways and telegraph of an age that
did not know steam and electricity.
They We're the pathways Of the imper
iaI couriers and the imperial legions.
These reads We're the girders that
held the empire together. 1t is GUS
iomary. today, to admire the Romans
for their practical sagacity. nowhere
better eXemplitied than in their road
building.
In manner. history repeats itself
in our newly bestirred zeal for con-
structing good highways What to
the Romans was a national necessity.
has become for us an urgent need;
and this by virtue Of Il modern IN
ventlon-tIe motor car ] look for
much advancement to grow out of the
this advancement will be contingent
upon the attention we give TO the i'm
provement Of our roads.
Those of us who have made obser-
vations for two decades have seen
woidrous changes resulting directly
from the use of the pleasure automo-
bile. Once the city was the city. and
the country was 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
where. This is all good, for it is we'll
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 $500. 100000
yearly in marketing their crops. be-
cause of bad roads That Is too much
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 pro-
ducts of the farm to the table of the
consumer. One step, at least, in the
solution is p,a1n-betuer roads,
AS an instrument Of economy the
motor truck has not yet come into its
own. Efficient servant as it is IN cer-
tain restricted realms. it now awaits
the further development Of interurban
and country highways TO reach the
measure of its full attainment. 1t has
power and speed that put it outside
the class of the horse-drawn vehicle.
and a nimbleness. and fieXibility
which gives it a certain advantage
over the railways. 1t is my eXpecta-
ton to see it assume more and more
the function of the short haul as
it's own peculiar province: in part, re-
ieving the railways of those duties
which they are least able to perform: !:
and in part. expanding the field of
our national transportation system.
l say. therefore. all speed to the
good road Improvement. 1t Will
cheapen our methods OF distribution
and help to bring the people OF our
country closer to each other. | COM
mend its common sense and practical
wisdom. 1t may be less spectacular
than some of our other national lS-
sues. but it strikes deep into the roots
of fundamental progress.