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Show JOHN LISKA WROTE BEST ROAD ESSAY John Liska, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., wrote the best essay in the 1924 national na-tional good roads essay contest for the Harvey S. Firestone four-years' university univer-sity scholarship. The subject of his essay, which told In simple form the epic story of a country crossroads, was "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 commissioner commis-sioner of education is chairman. It 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 communities. com-munities. Poor roads, more than anything any-thing else, have forced the farm home into a demoralizing isolation. The improvement im-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 a 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 quack grass to flourish. The stock', descendants of some grand-dad's scrubs, is now so degenerated that scarcely any characteristics of a high-producing, high-producing, profitable animal are evident. evi-dent. Can you expect the boy or girl to remain on the farm under these conditions? 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 a "job" at the store, mill or factory, fac-tory, instead of completing their education. 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 a result of better farm management. No farm home on this road, for a distance of twenty miles, Is without at least one modern convenience. 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 it stimulates stimu-lates latent self-respect into practical expression. These people are continually con-tinually adding some improvement in an honest attempt to beautify their home surroundings. Through diversification diversifi-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 schools, agricultural schools and universities. A better education Is teaching these children to realize the value of a true home. In a large measure, on the road to the left, the average farmer has lost his self-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 people. peo-ple. Farmers, such as those on the right road, are again placing the farm home upon the pinnacle where It should rest, "The True Home of Man." How necessary to that home Is a good road! What a relief It must have been to those simple folk in Whittler's "Snow Bound" to have the road opened and the floundering carrier car-rier bring the village paper to the door ! The left road may be compared to the snow-bound road, impeding progress, prog-ress, forcing Isolation. The right road j may be compared to the opened road, offering new opportunities, new possibilities possi-bilities and new happiness. The right road Is. in the true sense of the word, the "right 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. |