Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-08-18
V|RG|N|ANS AWAKENING
TO VALUE OF GOOD ROADS
James w. Brooks Says People OF
state Arc Coming Back" to
Develop Corners.
HOW BONDS CAN BE REDEEMED
Speaker Says Stop Waste OH 1885,
600 Farms, Due to Bad Roads,
and Money VIII Roll Into State
Treasury.

Progress of the railroad. telegraph.
telephone and the wireless systems
during tho past fifty years WINS re-
counted forcibly by James w. Brooks.
director Of the American Highway
educational Bureau. in an address
Eofore the Virginia Good Roads As
ISOLATION at Roanoke. He said In
inc realm of transportation Of
thought and speech. or message one
TO another. We began with the run
her or mounted courier. Today that
runner OF mounted courier has been
translated into 100000 miles Of
wire. running into the heart of more
than 10000. 900 homes and of1,cea ma
carrying every twenty-four hours
moro than 100000 messages. The
energies OF our people havo expanded
from shore to ehore. and having
reachcd the ultimate In that direc-
zion, we are now turning back for
more intensive development of inner
Bpaces-epaces that have been long
neglected as We have followed in the
wake OF steel and steam transconti-
mental enterprises.
Dir. Brooks pointed out that in our
ooyhood days we raced from one
romeo corner to another looking for
q good playground. the next always
looking more attractive than the one
wo were In. That. to use q simple
Illustration. is just what we have been
doing In a national way. We have
kopt up this chase until We have
raced into every corner there is. We
now dlacorsr that the corners We
nave neglected are worth while after
all. SO VIC are coming lack. We are
coming back in just such work as
you arc doing in the Virginia Good
Roads Association, for you have set
your hands TO the development OF
those neglected corners
Changes Along the Road.
MT. Brooks subject was The
Changing Road" and he said as we
como back wo are met by many
changes. For instance. the old town
livery has blossomcd out into a null
titude Of garages. and motor acces-
sorry dealers havo spread all over the
place, until the old harnessmaker
wonders whore he is.
j doubt II very many OF us could
recall the brand OF axle grease used
yesterday; instead, our heads arc
packed with facts about gasoline.
We no longer drive In tho pond to
tRhten our tires. we turn In at tho
garage and light cigar while some
oHo eihe turlS on the air.
Wc have jumped from horse shoes
60 skid chains. and shifted our power
from horse collar TO n gasoline tank
Az We speed along We read the time
on neat littlc clock at our feet In
stead OF Hquinting ut the sun.
We find the wagon town Of South
Bend has been swallowed up by the
motor town OF Detroit; and even
dressmakers have been whirled into
the change by more attractive wages
for nimble fingers In "dolling up" tho
Limousine.
And finally, wo never dreamed we
would like to see the day when the
country road would need depot In
town, but that Is exactly what has
happened. for can take you to high
way freight and passenger stations
In not q few cities.
Country Road n Public Utility.
Tho point ! want to Impress Ia this:
That under the singer force OF eco
nomic progress the country road is
being forced into n commanding no.
Sition as public utility.
In turning bnck to these ncglect cd
areas we have reached n point where
u liz now every State to It's own task
Ihat Ia tho meaning of your meeting
mere today; that is the meaning OF
the Virginia Good Roads Association
with these facts In mind--wIth these
evidences towards greater use OF
me highway-we come back TO the
problem at our own door.
For the sake OF approaching the
subject from new angle, we may
Say that farming is manufacturing
we call II agriculture. because It has
10 do with the soil. But Il is mann
featuring none the DISSEMINATING corn.
wheat. oats and tobacco and so on.
The only difference is that nature ia
partner In the plant. works on the
JOB as the seasons come and go. and
draws no dividends
lie would be a very foolish manu-
factnrer indeed who wouli locate his