Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1921-10-21
WESI VIRGINIA GIRL WINS,


The c>SaN for which Miss Gar-
land Johnson. ll-Ncar-old school
girl uf Bridgeport. W. Va. received
IS. word MAS made public Oct.
Ilh. by HE highway and higwaN
transport educational cnmmittrc.
>cni-oiliciIl organization witch i,
conducting Il series of national CON
tests i'm the interest of better roads.
Miss Jnhn>on'S paper WAS d2clar-
cd the best among 80 ESSAYS re
,ciNrd froiu every State, tic District
of Cnl::imhic. Alaska. Hawaii and the
Philippine Islands. First il WAS de
clarrd the hes, essay written in hcI
community: then ii was selected by
the State Department Of Education
~ me best ESSAY in the contest iii
Yves Virginia. Miss JohnSon'S ESSAY
then WAS selected from the 50
paper sent to Washington to be pass
cd upon by the national Judges.
The 800 word essay. for which
Miss Johnson received a four years
university scholarship valued al
Si.UOU-SS. Il word--follows:
This morning tho clank Of chain
and tramp of horses hOofs called
me to the window where the road
Scraper was smoothing the highway
before the house. This afternoon I
sudden rain Storm undid the work.
leaving struggling motor cars
ploughing axle deep i'll clayey West
Virginia mud. Last March the up
keep of the dirt roads in the county
cost $4,000, besides which the
damages and delays. This is the
mud tax" which every one must
pay directly or indirectly. Perma-
nent highways will mean higher
taxes but they will BIZ more than
repaid by increased real estate val
ues and lowered transportation
costs.
The invention of the railroad dur
ing the carly development of this
country made it possible for the ma
ton to spread over vast territories
in few decades. A historiantclls
us that 10000 wagons passed be-
tween Pittsburg, Philadelphia and
Baltimore in 1917. This would
make weeks traffic over the PENN
Sylvania Railroad now. The rail-
road situation is vital problem to-
day for when transportation breaks
down civilization cannot stand. The
country's needs have outgrown the
railroads and the motor truck OIL
permanent highways seem to be the
solution for our transportation.
The agricultural population Of
country is the foundation of its
prosperity. The influx of popula-
ton TO our cities is the most char
actcriStic movement of today and is
largely caused by the isolation of
farm life. Good roads and the fam
lily car gives the farmers family
social advantages and make posi-
bic CONSOLIDATED school and central
church fir the farm district.
The problem of the high cost of
living is largely distribution
problem. Transportation takes toll
from every consumer. With hard
surface roads team or truck can
| pull 10 times as great load as on
muddy roads, and the farmer can
move his crops in accordance with
the market rather than the condi-
lion of the roads. thus reducing
storage costs and discouraging spec
u!ation. Goor roads lower living
costs by keeping the produced on
the farm and widening the area Of
productive cultivation.
Since the beginning of the World
War vacation travel has been divert
ed to tours in our own country re-
sulting in a quickcnins of intcres,
IN road Improvement. With the in
crease in automobiles and eNtcn-
sion of national highways tourists
travel has icrcascd rapidly cXpcnd-
X mocy at home rather than abroad
and promoting national unity an in
tclligcnt palriU!i>m.
Ever since The Romans linked
Their empire together with roads
! HAL endure to HE present day. mil
ilhrN leaders have recognized the
Importance Of S0oh roads. Motor
busScs on HE splendid highways of
France brought up the reserves in
time to save the Allies at Ncrdun.
When the railroads OF our country
were burdcled with wartime traffic
ana cmbarH0cS were placer on non
essentials. the motor truck was en-
tcnSiNcly used 10 relieve the freight
congestion. Money invested in
good roads pays as high dividends
III peace rs in war. Truly this is a
| form of "prcpardncss," which all
can cndorsc!"
Miss Johnson's father was al orc
time editor Of the Charleston Ga
Zccttc. He is now connected with
The Clark Sh,ird rnIr cram