OCR Text |
Show H Spdeck ef Um. Wm. SnUm it Hwiso B l Representatives, Hj One of the greatest and most Iro H porUnt convention ever held In thin H country will be the Third National H Good Hoadb Congress, whloh has teen H called by the National Good Roads H Aasoalatlou to meet at Niagara Falls, B N. Y. July 2H, 20, and 210, 1010. H The appoltitment or delegates is lu H vlted by the Dtllolals of every State, H oounty, and olty of the United States, H and by every agrloultuial, auto H mobile, oommerolal, educational, H good roads, Industrial, labor, traua H portatlon, and woman's organlxatlon H In Buoh number as eaoh may deter H For year, Mr. Speaker, I have H bsea aa earnest advocate of postal H aavlngc, patoels posts, and good road H building. They are sure to oou H and 1 shall briefly disouss some of H their advaatagee. Good roads mean H progress and prosrlty, a beuotlt to H the people who live In the cities, aa H advantage to the people who Uva In H the country, and it will holp every H sotlou of out vast domain. Good H road, like good streets, makn H habitation aloug them moat desirable; H they enhauoe the value of farm lands, H faoilltate transportation, and untold B wealth to the produoeru and 00a- H sumera of the country 5 they are the H milestones marklug the advauoe of H olvllleatlon; they eooaoailxe tlate, H give labor a lift, and make mllliuas H la money : they save wear and tear H worry and waste; tbey heautlfy the H country bring It lu tnuoh with the H olty: tbey aid the social and the H religious and the educational and the H Industrial progress of the people; H they aaake better homes and happier H heartbsldes; they are the avenues of H trad,the highways of commerce, the B mail voqtes of Inforsaatiou, and the H ugeaoles of speedy oomtuunloatlou; H they ismb the eoouomloal traas H portatlon of marketable products H the ataxlEBuai burden at the BalniMQsa B cost: they are the llgaaieats that H bind the ooaatry together la thrift and Industry Hud iutelllgcuoa and phtrlotlam; thoy nromote eoalel in-torooMrsfl, in-torooMrsfl, prevent Intellectual stag nation, aud increase tbe happiness and I he prosperity of onr product u maeses; they contribute to the glory of tbe country give employment to our Idle workmen, distribute the nooesserles of life tbe produobs of the flelda and the forests and tbe factories encourage energy and husbandry, Inouloate love for our tcenlo wonders, and make raaaklad better and broader and greater and grander. The plain people of the laad are familiar with tbe truths ot history. They know the past. They realize that oftaB the difference between good roads and bad roads la tbe difference betwMB profit and loss. Good roads have a mosey value far beyond our ordinary conception. Dad roads eoa-stltote eoa-stltote our greatest drawback to in ternai development sad material progress. Good roads mean prosper 00s farmers: bad roads mesa abandoned farm, sparsely tattled country districts, aad congested populated cities, where tbe poor are destined to beeome poorer. Good roads mean more cultivated farms aad cheaper food products for the toilers la tbe towns: bad roads means poor transportation, lack of com rauniontioa, high prices for the necessaries of life, tbe Iobb of untold millions of wealth, aud idle workmen seeking employment. Good roads will help those who cultivate the soil and feed the multitude, and whatever hIJh tliH producern and tbe farmers of our country will Increase our wealth and our greatness and benellt all tbe people. We can not destroy our farms without final decay. They are to-day the heart of our national life aud the chief source of our material greatness. Tear down every edifice la our cities and labor will rebnild tbam, but abandon the farms and our oltles will disappear for ever. Oat of tho crying needs in this country, especially in the West, la good roads. The establishment of . (good roads would in n great measure solve tho question of the high prloe ot food nd the Increasing eout ot living. Uy reducing the cost of transportation It would enable the farmer to market his prcduoo at n lower price and a larger profit at the same time. It would bring oommunltlos closer to gethor aud In touoh with the center of population, thereby facilitating tbe oommeroo of Ideas as well as of material products. |