The Monmouth inquirer., 1925-06-11
JOHN LISKA WROTE
BEST ROAD ESSAY


tional good roads essay contest for the
Harvey S. Firestone four-years uniyer-
sity scholarship. The subject Of his
essay, which told in simple form the
epic story of a country crossroads, was
1.-THE Relation OF Improved Highways
to Home Life" Liska Is the fifth
high-school student to earn this honor
and award.
The contest Is conducted each year
under the auspices of the highway
| education board, Washington, d. c.,
Of which the United States commits
sioner of education is chairman. 1t
is strictly educational in character and
In the several states is sponsored by
one Of the leading universities, or by
the state department of education.
Mr.. Liska's essay follows:
Isolation Is the primary cause of
the ignorance so evident in rural COM
munities. Poor roads, more than any
/ thing else, have forced the farm home
into demoralizing isolation. The i'm
provement Of highways, making the
| consolidated school and social center
| possible, is injecting new life into
homes formerly hopelessly isolated.
Home life is broadened and enriched.
Boys are willing to stay down on the
| farm" Girls cease to envy their city
cousins and to leave home for the
| bright lights"
Just a few minutes of travel, on a
| particular road leading out of the city
Of Wisconsin Rapids, will convince the
most doubtful skeptic of the value OF
good roads and their influence upon
home life. About two miles from the
city this road branches. One branch
Is called the left road; the other the
right road" The left road is almost
always In deplorable condition; the
right road is hard-surfaced. The
homes on the left road are dilapidated,
the front yards scarcely recognizable
among the tangle of broken machinery,
old wire and various other objects
placed "out of the way" The land
has been cropped until it is impossible
for even quaek grass to flourish. The
stock, descendants of some grand-dad's
| Scrubs Is now so degenerated that
scarcely any characteristics of high
producing, profitable animal are evil
dent.
Can you expect the boy or girl to
remain on the farm under these con-
| ditions? Not one boy or girl living
| on this road has any education above
the eighth grade, and very many have
not even progressed that far. These
young people, many Of them lying
about their ages, have had to seek
"job" at the store, mill or fac
tory, instead of completing their edu-
cation. Can home life be pleasant
and happy where these conditions
exist?
The road to the right leads through
land slightly more fertile, but more
fertile only as result of better farm
management. No farm home on this
road, for distance of twenty miles,
is without at least one modern con-
venience. Several farms are equipped
with every modern convenience, both
in and out of the home.
The esthetic influence a good road
exerts is very evident. Often 1t stimu-
lates latent self-respect into practical
| II.
tinually adding some improvement in
an honest attempt to beautify their
home surroundings. Through diversiti-
cation and rotation of crops they have
succeeded in bringing their land to a
high degree of fertility, resulting in
a more stable income each year. They
are sending their children to high
| -ot.ooIa cohnnI0 and
universities. A better education Is
teaching these children to realize the
value of true home.
In large measure, on the road to
the left, the average farmer has lost
his seIf-respect, has allowed his home
to fall below the standard, and has
failed to keep in stride with the times.
He is considered inferior to city peo-
pie Farmers, such as those on the
right road, are again placing the farm
home upon the pinnacle where it
should rest, 1.-THE True Home of Man"
How necessary to that home is a
good roadi What a relief 1t must
have been to those simple folk in
/ Whittier's Snow Bound1 to have the
ROAD Opeueu anu the AVuhuCAhS -
rier bring the village paper to the
doori
The left road may be compared to
the snow-bound road, impeding prog
ress, forcing isolation. The right road
may be compared to the opened road,
offering new opportunities new possi-
bilities and new happiness.
The right road is, in the true sense
of the word, the fright road" We
must build more of them. Until this
is accomplished home life in isolated
sections will, in the future. simply
exist; but when all roads are right
roads," these same communities,
these same homes, will live
Much Road Building
| -. sn4..oeti,,r, foo t,Jro nf This vaarsg