The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1921-04-01
MIss0URrs GOOD
ROADS TROUBLE

~ S-F-ftftff
proposition. We do not mean by
this expression that he hasn't any
ideas Of his own he HAS his ideas,
Il but Me has been up the proverbial
| tree for A way to express them.
Of course the farmer has attended
2 few road meetings here and there,
but these meetings have been so DOM
mated by the boosters from the larg-
err towns and cities that he has found
himself to such an extent in the mi
nority that he has through sheer
lack Of leadership remained silent
and his voice has been little heard.
| But patience has its reward, and at
Hast, LEADER has been raised up
Ia strong, fearless, determined lead
er!--a man who has thrown his own
personal interests aside. and an
nounced that he intends to see the
road deal through to a finish, to the
end that every man in every school
district in the state of Missouri has
an opportunity to get in his own lit
tie SAY as to how the 100000, 900
road bond issue shall be spent and
what kind Of roads it goes towards
building!
We refer to l. R. Kelso, Of Cape
Girardeau, president of the Fedora
ton Of Missouri Commercial Clubs.
the leading light in the most remark
able convention Of it's kind ever held
in the state on the 26th and 9th Of
January, last in Jefferson City, when
hundreds of farmers and rural folk
gathered at the Capitol to decide on
some plan that would give them
voice in the settling of the good |
roads question In this state Some |
say 800 delegates were in attendance,
but desiring to be conservative, we
will say 500--at the least possible es-
innate.
1t was a unique meeting--every
man on his own expense and bent on
the serious business in hand. No man
sought any favors--no axes to grind
just serious deliberative business
without the usual undercurrent Of
framing" or hypocritical efforts to
"whip anyone into line"
OF course, there were few indi-
viduals who crept into the meeting
their axes, but if they were
Iaboring under the impression that !,
The big convention of rural folk was
fit subject to be used as grind
stone--well, history is history, and ,
heir obituaries have already been
written.
That we may not be misunderstood,
'lease let us assure you without re- ,
'erve that we are not Knitting" at
my other roads organization. The
federation of Missouri Commercial
Tubs has nothing but words of praise
or any other organization engaged
n the business of promoting the in
crest Of the people in arriving at
ane conclusion and plan of action on
he expenditure of the 100000, 900 !.
ond issue. 1t is ready to cooperate
nth anybody or any organization
hat has as its purpose the intention 9
+ obtaining for rural Missouri the
light to have a "say-so' in this good =
Dads business. The farmer is
AGAINST the city grabbing all the
lun1s to the extent of building all =
Dads to suit their own convenience. :
'fscourse, the cities win help to build :
nese roads, and therefore have as .
luch right IS the rural districts, but :
n the other hand THE RURAL DIS
RIOTS ALSO HAVE AS MUCH
light AS THE CITIES.
And that is the object of the FEEDER
tion Of Missouri Commercial Clubs.
is not condemning the cities for
rotecting their own interests. In
lct, it is not blaming anybody or
~ organization. Its simply taking
e duty upon itself as an organiza-
on interested and dependent on the
elfare Of Missouri to 60 out and or
lnize every school district in the
ate and make arrangements for ru-
j delegates to frame road program
submit to the special session Of the
gislature which will be called to con-
der road legislation. Surely there
n be no wrong in allowing the rural
stricts little voice in this matter.
Huntsville Herald.