Nebraska Newspapers

    TIIK NORFOLK WEEKL Y NEWSJOUKNAL , FRIDAY , MARCH 11 , 1910.
The Norfolk Weekly News-Journal
The NCWB , KHtttbllHhod 1881.
_ y Tlio Jouriml. Established 1877.
THh HUSE PUBLISHING COMPANY.
w. N. HIIRO , "N ? A. TiuHt-r
President. Socrotnry
Kvory l'Vl7li7v" Tl7malT per vimr. ' * Lfib
at ttio postollico at NOIIOIK ,
Nob. , an second class matter.
i'olophonosEfflfiorToI : Dopartnicnt
No. 22. IliiHliiOHs Olllce and Job llooiiih
No. II 22.
Ualllngor IB getting a largo amount
of free advertising.
Spring Is Huroly coming. Bulgaria
Is massing troops on the Turkish fron
tier.
An exchange suggests that congress
ought to Investigate the price of the
Easter hats.
The City of Brotherly Love lias seri
ously disgraced Its name since the
fitrlko began.
A Colorado aviator IH preparing to
make ( light from Pikes peak which
Is 14,101) ) feet high.
A mill In Maine turns out 1,200,000
sots of checkers annually. They are
ahlppcd In barrels.
Handling money Is said to bo an
easy way to contract disease , but most
or us are immune.
The Italian residents of America are
Agitating the making of Columbus day ,
October 12 , a legal holiday.
Boys playing marbles In the streets
are now a surer sign of spring than
nlnmnac or thermometer.
No one wants the cold storage In
dustries abolished. All that Is tic-
aired Is their improvement.
A wise old negro proverb says :
"Keep calm , a shlllln' worth o' fret ,
can't pay u penny worth o' debt. "
The political situation In England
grows moro confused and menacing
with every factional move that is
made.
Another cable is to be put under
the Atlantic notwithstanding tUe many
wireless lines Marconi expects to ope
rate over it.
Washington Gladden feels that In
surveying the political progress of the
past twenty-live years , there is much
that is reassuring.
Few Americans realized the extent
and imortance of underground Paris
until it was revealed in the accounts
of the recent Hoods.
Flower loving Holland has over
10,000 acres devoted to the cultivation
of bulbs , among which the tulip is
the national favorite.
The steel car builders have orders
for 100,000 more cars. The steel car
lias made good and will soon supercede -
cede all others.
When local merchants will adver
tise as liberally and as skillfully as
the mall order houses do they will get
more of their legitimate trade.
New York is preparing to honor the
English antarctic explorer , Captain
Ernest Shackleton , who will visit
America the latter part of the month.
The railroad pension system has be
come so popular that It is stated at
least 40 per cent of the total num
ber of railroad employes are in line
for pensions.
If we knew a quarter as much of
what tomorrow would bring forth as
we know of the day that 1ms gone
never to return we could all wear diamonds
mends and eat pork chops.
China is now taking its llrst com
plete census and It is believed that
the population will not be found to
reach more than 200,000,000 Instead of
450,000,000 as geographers have es
timated.
California agriculturists are experi
menting in the raising of bamboo. If
successful it will be an Important
source of wealth added to the nation's
resources.
The number of medical students has
been diminishing for the past ten
years. One reason for the decrease
is that the public is better educated
In preserving health and not so many
doctors are required.
An American from the south who
was recommended by the department
of agriculture has gone to Slam as
agricultural advisor to the king who
will pay him ? G,000 a year. This Is
more than a farm hand usually gets
in America.
A recent naturalist has established
the fact that the rapidity of the
lieart beat Is In Inverse ratio to the
size of the nnlnml. In the elephant
It Is only thirty heart beats to the
minute while In the mouse It is near
ly 700.
The "Clerk of the Day" in the
Boston Transcript , complains bittorl )
of the words "aeroplane" and "aerial"
as Hsagreeablo tongue twisters which
nro a burden to the American to pro-
Bounce. Here's n chance for another
reform. What would the "Clerk of the
Day" suggest as an improvement ?
The law of the nlr IH being dl -
cussed In Germany. In a few years
wo shall bo less anxious about dodg
ing automobiles than about the beer
bottles raining down from aeroplanes.
Greenland llsklmos are to bo members
bers of the expedition to the south
pole. It will bo the Hist time any of
these dwellers of the frigid north
ever reached the equator.
The "Shah's Highway" IB the worst
kept In the world. Though Persia Is
one of the oldest of civilized states ,
there are not a dozen good wagon
roads throughout the entire country
and only six miles of railway.
A letter written by George Wash
ington recently sold for ? 30G. It wasn't
typewritten either , but merely the
work of a goose quill.
It Is a relief to see formal stops
being taken toward paving. The ac
tion of the council lends an olllclal
tone to the movement and makes It all
the more a sure thing for tins sum
mer.
Hereafter passengers in the New
York subway cars are all to have seats.
No more strap hangers , if the new
ordinance is obeyed. Other cities are
watching the operation of this new
ordinance with interest.
Easy marks from Now York and
Boston have recently dropped ? GOO,000
in faro banks. The smart alecks of
the metropolis acquire moro gold
bricks than the Uncle Koubens of the
backroads.
Mr. Taft Is writing letters to got the
Income tax amendment passed. The
question now comes 'whether state
legislators are more fearful of the
disfavor of Washington or of wealthy
jicn near home.
Dr. Jean M. enarcot , the Antarc
tic explorer , believes the land discov
ered to bo a portion of a continent.
This may bo true but It Is a trifle
dlfllcult to become enthusiastic over
a continent forever buried under ice
and snow.
Frances Alda , the great opera star ,
got appendicitis Tuesday while sing
ing "Othello. " The ailment seems
common among vocalists. You have
heard many singers who sound as
if they had this trouble or something
worse.
It is rather a surprising fact that
3,500 men in the Atlantic squadron
did not know how to swim and were
taught that accomplishment , thought
to be almost instinctive in boys , while
the squadron was holding a winter
drill in Cuban waters this winter.
Samuel Untermeyer , the great cor
poration lawyer of Now York , who
engineered the billion dollar Utah cop
per combination , received for his ser
vices $775,000 , the largest fee ever
paid a lawyer In the United States.
This is a big sum even for a big
lawyer and from a big corporation.
Two young scions of English nobil
ity , Reginald and Arthur Paget , are
employed In the freight office of the
Northern Pacific railroad at St. Paul.
They preferred to work their own
way rather than live a life of Idle
luxury. Both are quite attractive
young gentlemen and skilled musi
cians.
The state of North Dakota feels that
spelling has not been given a fair
show of late years and has started in
to bring about a reform. A series
of spelling matches and prizes have
been arranged which will close with
a final state championship contest.
The idea Is worthy of adoption by oth
er states.
There is a great range of prices
within the limits of the United States
for the board and lodging of travelers.
In the south they can bo obtained for
from $1 to $2.50 a day. In the far
west from ? 2 to $3.50. In the central
west the average Is $3 and ? 3.50 , and
in the east from $4 to $6. These are
figures given by traveling employes of
the agricultural department.
The world of today has little time
or Interest in the men and women
who have not achieved success along
the lines of business or professional
life they have followed , yet who can
compute the debt of civilization to the
men and women who In their efforts
to make the world a little better and
brighter , have been too busy to make
money or achieve fame ?
If woman suffragists would devote
their boundless energy to gaining
more women to Join their movement
instead of arguing with and abusing
the men , there would bo greater ulti
mate success of this movement.
When a majority of the American wo
men want the ballot , It will be given
them without any such demonstration
as the English women are making to
secure It.
It Is prophesied by these who are
familiar with air navigation that be
fore many years the use of the aero
plane will bo as common as the auto
mobile ami that It Is much easier to
manipulate , since the operator has
no ruts , nor turns nor crowded streets
to steer his machine through , hut can
turn It'loose In the broad expanse
of the skies and go where he pleases.
It Is no very uncommon thing for
respectable young Americans to marry
the educated young Indian girls , par
ticularly those of the Sioux tribe
which are bettor looking than some
other tribes. Every one of these In
dian maidens brings to her husband
a fine farm and that Is no small at
traction In these days when Uncle
Sam's ffood farms are getting scarce.
General Knropatkln has spent the
past two years In writing a book en
titled "Russia for the Russians" which
criticises the foreign policy of the
government for the past hundred
years In the wasteful expenditure of
life and money upon alms which were
In no sense national. Development
at home and not foreign aggression Is
the hope of Russia , according to the
wise old general.
Governor Hadlcy ot Missouri be
lieves that the problem of how to re
duce the cost of living will never be
solved until every family keeps a
cow. If this Is true the Hat dwellers
In the cities have quite a long prob
lem ahead of them , unless Edison can
come to the rescue and invent a long
distance electrical milking machine
which may be operated from the kitch
en of the flat while bessie grazes In
country pastures.
A considerable acreage of winter
wheat is reported damaged in six of
the leading winter wheat states. Sup
plies of wheat in sight in the United
States are so moderate that any
losses in the coming crop would seem
especially serious if It were not known
that invisible stocks of wheat and
j flour are liberal. The country goes
into the now season with larger re
serves than for the past two years.
Professor Percival Lowell believes
he has discovered canals on the planet
Mars , but other equally noted astron
omers deny that any evidence of them
exists. Astronomers do not seem to
be making the progress that other
sciences are. When Galileo discovered
Jupiter's four moons with a very ordf-
nary telescope , 300 years ago , It was
supposed that the vast Improvement
In astronomical instruments would
lead to wonderful discoveries , but the
results have been somewhat disap
pointing.
North and South Dakota , Montana
and Washington celebrate their twen
ty-first anniversary this year. These
states have developed at a marvelous
rate during these twenty-one years.
Their growth has added Immensely to
the wealth of the nation , and the end
Is not yet , for each of them is capable
of supporting several times their popu
lation. The natural resources are cap
able of vast development and their
future looks as bright as their past ,
has been surprising.
The defeat of James K. Vardaman's
candidacy for senator from Missis
sippi by a man who was not born
till 18GI and therefore free of the
prejudices resulting from participa
tion in the civil war , is on evidence
of the growth of the new &outh. Var-
daman belonged wholly to the old
south. Whether Leroy Percy who de
feated him will "make good" or not
no one can say. He is practically un
known outside of the state , but he , at
least , will not try to reopen the old
war Issues.
The tunnel , or series of tunnels ,
through the Andes , making railroad
travel across South America from
Buenos Ayres to Valparaiso possible ,
is nearlng completion. Its construction
was begun many years ago and has
baffled the skill of engineers for many
years , but a New York syndicate at
last solved the problem and trains
will bo running in a few months.
The/ three tunnels have nn aggregate
J length of eleven miles. The total cost
. of this gigantic undertaking will reach
twelve million dollars.
Admiral Evans expresses the belief ,
in a scries of articles he has recently -
I
ly written , that the commercial value
of the Panama canal will bo disap
pointingly small. There Is a great
difference of opinion on this point.
Some authorities believe it will pay
for Itself In a comparatively shore
time. Be this as It may the canal
was dug quite ns much because of
our naval necessities as because of
Its commercial benefits. It Is a great
work which will benefit the whole
world and this Is too great a nation
to count the cost too carefully on an
enterprise which promotes the general
welfare of humanity.
NORFOLK ENTERPRISE.
The practical unanimity with which
Norfolk propertv owners uip.ned the
paving petition , is enough to bring
joy to the heart of the entire city.
The spirit of progressiveness and en
terprise thus shown , means much for
the future of Norfolk.
Now that more than enough signa
tures have been secured , Mayor Fri
day and the city council will bo free
to go ahead with nil haste In the pav
ing movement , and there's every pros
pect that this is the last spring we'll
see Norfolk avenue in its present de
plorable condition.
Greece and Brazil Imvo Industrial
1
problems of quite a different character -
| tor from that the United States hi
now struggling with. In Greece the
ciop of currants has been so grcabfor
several years that the price 1ms fall
en below the cost of production and
the government Is considering a plan
to reimburse the growers for des
troying 25 per cent of the vines , so
that the production from those which ,
remain may become moro profitable.
In llrnzll the same condition exists ,
only coffco Is the superfluous product
and the government adopted the valor
ization plan , by which many million
dollars were borrowed by the govern
ment and Invested in the surplus cof
fee to be withheld from the market
until prices could be forced up. The
planting of new coffee trees was also
prohibited.
LIVING STANDARDS CHANGE.
Perhaps the largest aspect of the
cost of living problem is how to keep
pace with our changed standards ,
Twenty years ago , In the country at
least , sick people were nursed by vol
unteer watchers. Now the trained
nurse has to bo paid $20 per week.
Consultation of specialists was a
rare thing twenty years ago. Now
families that are careful for children's
health are paying high charges to oculists
lists , nurists , high grade dentists ,
throat specialists. Instead of old
time dollar fees to the country doc
tor , there are $50 operations for ade
noids and so on.
Comparatively few country people ,
and a minority of city people twenty
years ago , used to take summer va
cations. Now this expensive habit Is
very general. Now that most wealthy
people take winter vacations , It will
not be long before Florida and West
Indian trips will become ver" common.
Many of these things see i absolutely
needed according to modern knowl
edge , but It is not strange that it
is growing increasingly dilllcult to
save money.
MORE MUSIC AND LESS POWDER.
The demand for a safe and sane
Fourth of July is becoming more In
sistent with each recurring year. It
Is probable that moro advance will
be made along this line In 1910 than
ever before.
There has been a very popular idea
that noise and patriotism were twins.
It has prevailed for more than a cen
tury. We have used millions of dollars
lars worth of explosives to demon
strate our undying loyalty to the flag.
Year by year in our glee we have
burned up millions of dollars worth
of property by the careless use of
lire crackers and toy pistols and the
death roll of men and boys has con
stantly Increased. The climax has
been reached. The edict has gone
forth , from the homes of the land ,
that this unnecessary waste of pro
perty and carnage of death must
stop. In Boston no explosives of any
size will be allowed this year. It
has been decided in advance to have
less noise and more music , less pow
der and more flags. Let the plan
spread throughout the country. A
free people cannot afford to be foolish.
"Safety and Sanity on the Fourth. "
OUR IMMIGRATION LAWS.
Not further restriction but merely
to make possible such restriction us
the existing law intends , but has not
accomplished is the object of a pro
posed new immigration law recom
mended by Daniel J. Keefe , the com
missioner general of immigration in
his report for the fiscal year 1909.
Some of the principal suggestions
are :
So defining the term "alien" as to
leave no doubt that It includes all
persons not citizens , extending the
contract labor provisions to forbid and
penalize the inducement of immigra
tion by false as well as genuine pro
mises ef employment , penalizing an at
tempt to Import foreign laborers , and
permitting the importation of alien
skilled laborers if labor of like kind
unemployed can not bo found here
only if the consent of the secretary
of commerce and labor is obtained In
advance ; increasing the fine against
steamship companies for taking on
board dangerously diseased aliens
from $100 to $200.
Mr. Keefe believes the time is ripe
for the adoption of even stricter meas
ures and suggests that a proposal wor
thy of careful thought is that all male
aliens between 1C and 50 be required
to pass a physical examination equal
to that observed for army recruits.
Touching the "white slave" traffic
the report sets out that a "special
investigation conducted throughout
the country and the general experi
ence of the year , make it apparent
that an enormous business is done In
importing and distributing foreign wo
men for Immoral purposes , including
the seduction and distribution of alien
women and glrjs who enter regularly
and also to some extent of American
women and girls. The federal offi
cers have not discovered positive evi
dence of the existence of a syndicate
for those nefarious purposes , but
there Is among these who conduct
the business a certain esprit do corps ,
and there are In several cities clubs
and headquarters where they congre
gate. "
Immigration , which during 190D , fell
off from the two previous years , the
commissioner says , is reassuming nor
mal proportions.
There were issued during the year
U7.337 certificates of naturalization , an
excess of 11,820 over the preceding
year. The four states In which the
principal work of naturalization was
transacted being Now York , Ponnsyl-
uuilti , Illinois and Massachusetts.
AROUND TOWN.
All signs point to 1910 as Norfolk's
greatest year.
The mayor and council anil city
mean business about this paving.
John Cudahy seems to bo an ex-
peit at meat carving , as well as
packing.
No wonder the price ok. moat Is
high. We have to help pay John
Cudahy's lino.
Among other necessities , there's n
rumor now that the pilVe of golf
balls Is going up.
Put 1910 down as the year when
the greatest Hood of Us history , was
luckily escaped by Norfolk.
Paving district No. 1 has been cre
ated in Norfolk. Doesn't that make
yon feel like throwing up your hat ?
Pavelka has just wrcslicd at Nlo
brara. But ho and the Burke Giant ,
after all that talk on both sides ,
never got together.
Norfolk will never know how lucky
It was in the slow , steady , gradual
melting of the mountains of snow
which had piled up north and west
of tills town during the winter.
One Norfolk man who has just gone
Into the fancy chicken business , is
so proud of the few eggs ho gets
that he puts them In a cut glass dish
on the sideboaid and won't allow the
family to touch 'cm.
"The News means a great deal to
Norfolk. " said G. A. Maylleld , editor
of the Stanton Picket , when he was
in town yesterday , "but it moans Just
as much to the entire territory In
which it circulates. It's a great help
to a region like tills o have a live
daily newspaper such as The News
to help build it up. "
ATCHISON GLOBE SIGHTS.
Some men seem to have a natural
aptitude for seconding the motion.
Only those who don't believe in love
can talk about It without becoming
silly.
Every good husband is what Is
known among women as a "great
baby. "
Somehow , one never finds any fault
with the misspelling in a good cook's
cook book.
Literary note : No one reads Charles
Dickens any more. There are no
chauffeurs in Dickens' works.
After a man lias known a few jeal
ous women , he doesn't marvel much
at the cleverness of Sherlock Holmes
or Old Sleuth.
So far , we have seen the shirt
waist worn upon every occasion ex
cept a corpse at a funeral , or a bride
at her wedding.
In a town this size there Is always
some woman of whom it is said : "She
has beautiful clothes , but she never
wears them here. "
Our idea of a real expert is the man
who can find out what are the con
tents of a woman's stomach the day
alter she ate salad at a party.
It would add something to the peace
and tranquility of the world if self-
satisfied creatures were only as easily
pleased with the rest of us.
Opportunity comes In many ways ,
but , up to date , no one lias encount
ered it while earnestly gazing at the
new moon over his right shoulder.
What lias become of the old-fash
ioned parent who took his child to a
funeral , and lifted it up for a look in
the coflln , that it might realize the
power of death ?
In sending valentines , should a pic
ture of a girl be sent to a boy , or
to a girl ? This may seem unimport
ant , but the philosophers have always
insisted that It is the unimportant
things that count.
The people have a way of referring
to the "laboring class" as though It
meant the farmers , and the people who
work by the day. What Is the matter
with the people who sit on a hard
chair In an office all day ? What are
they doing ? Playing ?
When a man Is real young , there
seems to be so much going on In the
world that he regrets the loss of the
little time he has to devote to sleep ;
but , In time , he learns that sleep Is
about as Interesting as the rest of it ,
and moro satisfactory.
Before the daughter In the family
is ten , she wonders how It happened
that father got into the family : Be
cause of the sympathy between father
and son which originated when they
found themselves under the thumb to
gether , this question never enters the
head of a boy.
Mrs. Lysander John Appleton In
serted the following advertisement In
the Globe today : "For sale cheap
one hot water bag , two foot warmers
three boxes of ointment , one bottle o'
llnament , one Invalid's chair , two rolls
of surgeon's gauze , and five dlfferon1
kinds of antiseptics. " ( Chart : Mr *
Lysander John lias been converted t <
Higher Thought , and there Is no neoi
for plaster or pill In the arms of F
circling Good , )
GOOD ROADS
MEAN PROGRESS
THEY TEND TO INCREASE THE
VALUE OF PROPERTY.
WILL LOWER COST OF LIVING
s
Farm Lands Will Be Settled More
Rapidly , More Good Crops Will Be
Raised , and the Consumer Will Re
ceive Supplies at Smaller Prices.
A luiuii uf horses struggling along
n mud road In the cndcimir to draw
half u load iilTurils a striking object
lesson nf rntiil Improvement when com
pared to n icam drawing a heavily
loaded \\upui at a comfortable trot
idling a stone surfaced road. This Iso
luted example must be multiplied bj
H.OOO.OOO In order to obtain the cumu-
lathe effect uf bud roads upon triifllc
in the I'ulted States. Not less than
& ' . - > O.OOO.OOU is the useless tribute an
ntiiill.v le\lcd upon the people of the
United States by its bud rouds.
lu IS'.H ' ! n widespread Inquiry made
> y the office of public roads Indicated
that the morage cost of hauling on
roads In the United States was ' _ ' . " >
cents per ton per mile , lu UHMJ the
bureau of statistics ascertained from
Its 'J.SOO county correspondents that
the average cost per ton per mile was
about - ' . " . cents and the average length
of haul ! ) . ) miles.
The high ' nst of hauling Is not the
only huidcn which the American
people are carrying by reason of their
bad roads. In traversing a region of
country Isolated from markets by rea
son of bad nwds one is struck by the
wastes of unillled land and by the
lack of variety In the products. This
Is a condition more frequently due to
lack of adequate transportation facili
ties than to lack of Industry and lnti/1- /
llgeiii e nf the inhabitants.
The ( iiiint may be Illustrated by as-
sunilnc n series of concentric circles
to lie drsiviii about n market town or
railroad station , constituting zones of
production in all of which the roads
are uniformly bad. Within the first
zone all products can bo delivered to
market at a profit. Within the second
zone certain products must be elimi
nated because of the length of haul.
Milk , small fruits and certain kinds
of vegetables roqtilrfhg' quick delivery
and careful transportation might be
cited as examples.
In the third /one still other products
must be eliminated because of the
prohibitive cost of hauling. The
fourth zone will include only those
products which can be held until the
roads arc passable and then hauled
long distances and sold at a profit.
Beyond this zone the land must be
left unproductive or utilized for graz
ing and timber.
Every Improvement in the roads
leading from tills market widens thes.0
zones , makes unproductive land pro
ductive and enables the farmer to ex
ercise a wider discretion In determln-
Ing the character of his crops. The
prosperity of the individual farmer be
comes far greater , the traflic of the
railroad Increases , the consumer re
ceives better supplies at lower prices ,
and thus the beneficial effects continue
in an ever widening circle.
While It Is Impossible to assign an
arbitrary percentage or amount to rep
resent the Increase In land values by
reason of road Improvement , it is gen
erally believed that the average In-
COUNTRY noAD UNIMPKOVKD.
crease per acre within the zone of In
fluence of an Improved road would be
from $2 to ? 0 per acre. As there are
n'jout KiO.OOO.OOO acres of farm lands
Improved and unimproved In the Unit
ed States the possibilities of aggre
gate increase in value are enormous.
These figures constitute conclusive
evidence of the Immensity of traffic on
the common roads. They do more
they give food for reflection as to
where the cumulative losses In wear
| nd tear of wagons , harness and
teams , due to poor roads , will land us
on the debit side. Nobody can ever
approximately estimate this drain , but
everybody must know It is In terms of
millions.
The loss in dollars is serious enough
for grave concern , but when the ad
ditional charge Is made that bad roads
are a menace to our institutions , our
health and our educational develop
ment It constitutes an Indictment of
Biich gravity as to demand paramount
consideration. Hundreds of millions
of fertile acres remain untlllcd while
the Insanitary and unwholesome city
tenements arc crowded with human
beings whose standard of living must
result In their mental , moral and phys
ical decay.
It Is not generally realized that our
S.inn.OOO miles of road constitute n
preat source of disease. By means of
dust disease germs enter the human
system This is particularly true o/ /
uberculosla germs. Roads of the fu
ture In great centers of population
will be practically dustlcss , and the
bituminous and other binders which
will be used In the construction ot
such roads will not only minimize the
danger of disease by reducing the dust
nuisance , but tuoy. . are in n measure
possessed of antiseptic properties.
There IH no phase of life in the coun
try , Hoclul or economic , which Is not
affected by good fondn , There- a
direct relation between Improved high
WI."H and the value of land , the at
tendance of children at school , ( he
health of the community and every
thing else that tends to make life In
the country elllclunt And this , In turn ,
affects ( ho people lu the cities who
live on the country products. It is
n task the maintenance of good roads
which affects every person In the
country , no matter whuro ho lives or
what his profession.
Road building Is an art bused upon n
science. In this ago of specialists II
almost surpasses belief that the Amer
lean people , so practical in all othet
lines of endeavor , should permit thelt
golden millions to bo frittered awaj
Till : HA UK ItOAD MACAUAMIZHD.
by men vtho for the most part know
little or nothing about either the sol
ence or the art of road building. Then1
are today more than 1 , < } < )0 ) petty rend
ollleinls In the United States , each and
all receiving compensation.
Very few of these men devote more
than a fraction of their lime to rend
work , because their Interests lie else
where and their compensation Is toe
small to enable them to devote theii
entire time to the work. It is not sur
prising that a century and a quarter
of this kind of supervision has result
ed In the present chaotic condition of
our public roads. The reforms that
should talto place will provide a com
paratively small body of trained , competent
potent road hulldorta devoting their en
tire time to continuous road work.
Not only must the roads be built bj
trained men , but they must bo kept
in repair.
The road building era has ulrendj
becun. Already great strides have
been made In recent years toward
bringing about these needed reforms
In the road laws and administration ,
in providing more adequate revenues
nnd In devising methods of construc
tion and maintenance adapted to the
requirements of modern traffic. Logan
W. Page in World's Work.
HASKELL'S HIGHWAY PLAN.
Oklahoma Governor Advocates a State
Good Roads Commission.
Governor Haskcll said recently that
he will recommend to the Oklahoma
legislature , possibly at a special scs
Mon , the creation of a state good road !
commission and the ollice of state er.
Klnoer and will favor the continuance
of good roads from one county lute
another.
"The building of roads that Is , per
inanent and good roads" he said , "Is
quite as large an undertaking as build
ing railroads. They should be of large
extent and should not be stopped arbi
trnrlly at the county line just because
the authority of the county commis
Bloncrs does not extend into the next
county. The way to build our roads
state wide Is to create a good roads
commission to act as a coiiRiiltlns
board for the various sets of county
commissioners. The engineer of the
board would , In fact , be a state engi
neer , who would plan the best surveys
for good roads from a ntate standpoint
and lay the plans before the sets ol
county commissioners for approval
and the voting of the necessary bonds
to defray the expense by counties as
must be done under the present good
roads law. The only thing that the
state can furnish Is convict labor. "
Sand-clay Roada In Kansas.
Sand-clay roads are made of those
( wo materials , and in some purts of the
south arc held to be. for particular re
gions at least , more practicable thiin
macadam. This construction is now
being Introduced in the sand bill coun
try of Kansas , where the sandy roads
bave hindered agricultural develop
mcut by Imposing great difficulty on
the transportation of farm products.
Garden City , which is In the snndj
country , solved the transportation
problem by building a sand-clay road
through the hills south of that city.
Before this road was built fanners had
to haul their grain more than twenty-
five miles by a roundabout way In or
der to reach a market that is only ten
or twelve miles distant. The property
owners of Hutchlnson nnd McPhcrson
counties are now considering the open
ing of a big territory that has beeu
handicapped by heavy sand hill roads.
More Real Work Needed.
A good roads convention Is always
a helpful Institution , but there are a
great many people who would do well
to spend moro time In making roadi
Instead of attending conventions.
Good Road Movement Spreading.
The split log drag is still meeting fa
vor in many parts of the United States
Good roads associations are belns
formed nil the time , nnd better roads
"re making tholr
apponrnnco over
many sections of the United States.
All this agitation will lend to perma
nent mads The quicker the better.
Get Into the movement