Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-08-18

day. and at the end OF the year have
little left but recollectlons This Will
apply to the country merchant. law
yer ana doctor. rs well as TO tho
farmer boy.
But we must be fair. All the bene-
fts OF good roads are not to tho
country dweller. They of the city
receive great benefits too. No city
can grow or prosper which is difficult
OF access from the surrounding coun-
Try. It's business will languish and
die. They must have tho country
mans trade IL they would thrive. II
MS roads are such that he cannot
come, how can he buy and sell? The
markets must be supplied by him
ana the dry goods man. the clothier,
shoe dealer and the hardware store
must sell to him. II by reason Of
good roads he becomes a more pros
porous farmer. he becomes n large
buyer. and better deposition In your
city banks. have no doubt that
some or the very best. most desirable
accounts In the great banks of this
nhe city are farmers accounts.
The very sustenence Of our bodies
ana the profits in our business depend
upon the ability of the people OF tho
country to get to us and our ability
to get to them. Strange as IL may
seem. the good road is = two-edEed
eword. but with kindly edges. for
while II Increases profit TO the pro-
Queer II decreases cost to the con-
sumner. for II the farmer can produce
anu market larger crops Mt less cost,
he can sell cheaper and still bo
ahead OF the game. and business Ia
better at both ends OF The read. Tho
cities. therefore. should. and think
DO. very cheerfully pay their large
share OF the taxes for building good
roads In the country. But II In not
entirely matter OF dollars and cents
with the city dweller any more than
II III with those who reside In the
country II hun It's social side for US
too. Most OF the people living in
cities come from the country or are
JUST one or two generations removed,
and We love that host OF wholesome.
happy country cousins and VIC love
10 visit you. especially on hot sum-
mer day when the watermelons are
ripe and We can sit with you under
the shade In the big back yard with
whole half OF Il stretched across
our knees and talk about the crops
and about what's going on in town
Ana wed like to sit around your fire.
side Mt night and smoke and talk.
and "Reminiscences little about old
Times when we were boys together
AND ran barefoot in the early morn
ing frost to our rabbit traps and
sold the skins to buy our swccthearts
Christmas present. Maybe none of
you ever did that sort of thing Well.
you missed a lot IL you didn't More
Intercourse and intimate friendly re-
lat!ons between city and country
mean more business and better busI-
ness fer both. Good roads will bring
II about.
Shipping by Truck Experiment.
In recent months much has been
said and some experiments have been
made on shipping by truck This per
maps VIII nS'er amount to much. and
should not except in cases Of cmcr-
Eency. for water and rail are natural
ana logical means OF TRANSPORTATION
FOR long hauls. But severed times in
recent years labor unions have
threatened IA complete tie-up OF all
transportation lines in the UnItad
states. Happily, II never came But
each OF us here passed many dave In
dread and fear tina; II would come.
a fearful calamity TO overtake any
land. whether such n strike were
just or unjust the results would have
been the same--staggering, stupen-
dous losses to everybody. and II pro-
thousands. and that In the midst of
abundance, but that abundance un-
availablc--for lack of transportation
the farmer losing his pcrishable pro-
cucts and the cities dying for need
OF them. Few cities have within
their corporate bounds food enough
for more than n week But IL good
highways interlaccd our land every
wheel on every railroad might cease
TO turn and none would go hungry
FOR long. long time. The farmer
would load his wagons and trucks
and bring his produce from near and
far, knowing that 4 rare price await
ed him. and the city would gladly
pay, FOR food must be had In such
an emergency good roads would save
Tor the nation millions upon millions
OF dollars bevond their cost, and
such an emergency, gentlemen. is
by no means impossible. Let us he
prepared. Agitation and discomfort
breed such conditions Unemploy-
ment breeds agitation and discomfort.
There Is much unemployment today
and more Is likely. Let us heed the
situation. y comprehensive road
Building program calls for much
labor. and wherever possible labor
should now be employed at reduced,
but reasonable wages Let ne take