The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1922-02-10
lRlV[lED ROAD NECESSARY M
development, sAI; uol|s

, e's
their conditions.
4 1--WE hear the argument against the
sale Of the road bonds at this time be.
cause Of Strengthened condition Of A.
nanccs, and q pies for procrastina.
ton. We never know In advance what
crop and market ccnditions will bosin
the future and It would be q faliacy
to wait for b good year before start
ing construction ot this graveled road
project. If anything. the time to- make
the start 10 this year fer We know 1e
given half a chance ehis country Win
make good and the sooner we procure
a good graveled road the sOoner Will
It respond In happiness, prosperity ana
contentment fer Its inhabitants. A
gravcled road II the means to lift this
country from the 'slough Of despond.
II want to say that a graveled road
for this country In itself 10 q fore
runner fer q railroad. No one can re.
sist that argument. In regard to this
railroad situation seriously doubt
whether this country could induce .
railroad under present conditions. Il
is not Of sufficient attraction now to
draw railroad and must be furthsr
developed. with improved means OF
transportation 1t 10 &c. be conceded
that land wni change hands and at
higher price than now valued. More
people will cosne to THE country ana
by carrying their proportion Ct taxa.
tion the burden wpuld decrease for alt.
"some people object to the road bona
sale by advancing the argument that
the time In not yet cpportune. What
would be the condition Of this country
were we to individually take that
viewpoint? We would have portable
houses Of Inexpensive make. ready to
n,cvc to some other locality in case the
next year should result in 4 crop fail
ure or the livestock and grain mar.
kets should be unfavorabie. There
would be no permanent improvements
in the country. no schools, nc moth.
Ing, for fear of future depressed con-
ditions, There 10 no reason for such
peesimism for II there IL a people
who. by reason of past experiences
have cause to be optimistic it 10 the
| inhabitants Of this country. Most OF
them are working their own places
Some Of them, in fact, a great many
Of them have mortgaeed their prop
erty fer a few dollars per acre. Their
debt in = large measure has Sc heon
c6used by paying excessive freight
charges on u dirt road. Roads such
and with much traffic disinteEratea
rapidly into. ruts and chuclshoies ana
| with dry weather becomes road flled
with pulvcrIzed sand and loose dirt.
4 good graveled road would eliminate
these deficiencies and would be pass!-
tae twelve months in tho year. making
| ii possible for continuous traffic py
wagons and motor vehicles.
| "In former days this country was
maintained ana supported almost ex.
c.usively by the livestock interests but
! in later years with the coming of the
settlers who, have homestcaded tn"
country and thereby restricted the
omen range, the livestock industry has
been crippled, and doubly so by the
depression in market quotations. The
coming of the settlers has changed
conditions and with the change We
md the stcckmen for the most part
unable to meet their obligations to-
the lack Of open range and their her'as
have diminished In size. They have
been compelled to pay additional rev.
enue for enclosed pastures and fecd
and other heretofore unknown over
head expenses. And the Agricultural
Interests have been unable to meet
their tax and other obligations par
TALLY through the reverses suffere:
by the stockmen but much more 81
through the lack Of cheap transportu'
|ticn. This has and always will con-
tinue az a country for the raising o.
livestock and the industry Will rema'1
lot first Importance. And also the land
will continue to be farncd. whethe
by the present Inhabitants or Others
II am not prepared tc. say. Heretofor'
1.-THE stocknlen have carried the big bur
} den of taxation but now that por
ton Of this burden is thrcwn upon tn
farming interests the latter are strain
ing under the load for the simple lacl
= Of adequate transportation facilities
} The error could be corrected by goo
? graveled road and would benefit tn
. stockmen and farmers alike. ! do n"
. believe this country win ever reve'
back to the open.range days whe
: there were no fences. The interests
, the farmer and atecimcn are closet
, related and one 10 essential to tn
, ether. TO make for prosperity. on
J should support anything that beneh'
I the other. Perhaps I ana not consist
! ent in classifying the bulk OF the In
. habitants Of this county into two ele
lments. Perhaps they should all be r.
! fcrred to as either farmers or steci
! men, for the farmer OF today csn
e engage In the raising OF livestock
{ make q success ead the stockme
I has taken up farming pusuits. Co
: talnly the big cattle outfits have got
lieut. Of existcnce. refer to the cutA
!. that formerly ran big herds Of caet
: through this country. herds, nufAhe
!. ting upwards Of 40.oeo head OF catt1
,. Tue settlers came and have gradual
y homesteA0e6 an the desirable vacal
( ltand anA changed couaitions. Roth q
. tstoclkman and the farmer must col
]. tinue 20 function 70 make succe
10 tor each other. And their success q