The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1920-04-15
Good Roads.


The country is entering a period
% road-building. Projects which
were planned during the war are be.
ing put into effect The Federal
Government has made large appro-
priations. to be spent conformity with
appropriations by the various states.
Good roads have become n watch
word Of the postwar progress.
There Is occasion for reflection in
the fact that the greatest % ancient
empires was conspicuous for is road
building The Roman roads were
the railways and telegraph Of an age
that did not know steam and cleo
tricity. They were the pathways u
the imperial couriers and imperial
legions. These roads were the CIR
ders that held the empire together.
II is customary, today. to admire
the Romans for their practical sa-
gacity. nowhere better exemplihed
than in their road.building.
In manner. history repeats It.
self in our newly bestirred zeal for
constructing good highways. What
to the Romans was national neces-
sity. has become for us an urgent
need: and this by virtue Of modern
invention-the motor car. | look
for much advancement to grow out
81 the motor age" and ! am Ger
tain that this advancement will be
contingent upon the attention We
give to the Improvement Of our roads.
Those Of Us who have made OBJ
servations for two decades have seen
wondrous changes resulting directly
from the use % the pleasure auto
mobile Once the city was the city.
and the country was the country
To-day they merge into one another
The city man knows the country as
never before glad TO have access
10 IL and to live in II when possible
The country man knows the city
and frequents !; often Small viii
lagos Of yesterday have become the
rural metropolises that one finds here
and there. everywhere This is all
good. for IL is well that nation be
knit together in the spirit Of mutual
understanding and in 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. OO0. 900
yearly in marketing their crops, be-
cause Of bad roads. That is too
much to waste. We should contem-
plate this figure in connection with
the high cost Of living.
There is no more serious problem
before Us today than the matter Of
the cost Of getting the pro
iuets Of the farm to the table Of
he consumer. One step. at least.
n the solution is plain--better roads. /
As an instrument Of economy the
motor truck has not yet come into
Is own. Efficient servant il is in
certain restricted realms. IL now
awaits the further development of
and country highways TO
each the measure Of its full attain
nent. II has power and speed that
,ut IL outside the class Of the horse l
lrawn vehicle. and a nimbleness and |
lexibility which gives IL a certain adj
'antage over the railways. II is my |
to see IL assume more
md more the function Of the short |
iaul' as its own peculiar province:
n part, relieving the railways Of
hose duties which they are least
bile to perform; and In part. ex-
landing the field Of our national
transportation system.
say, therefore. all speed to the
'ood road movement! II will cheaper
'ur methods Of distribution and help
o bring the people Of our country
loser TO each other | commend /
Is common sense and practical wis
Iom. IL may be less spectacular
han some Of our other national is
ues, but it strikes deep into the