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Good Roads A Prime Necessity

Good Roads A Prime Necessity image
Parent Issue
Day
25
Month
May
Year
1887
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

It is a common remark that the public bnHütngl at a comoiunity or county are a good index to the public spirit or tlirift M its citizens. This is a fact, tuit it i no inore truly such au exponent thun i thiit of the higuways. Whoever has to plod thrruigh "sinking sand" or over roujah and ditHcult roads to reach an ob jective polnt muy conlidently expect to flnd lack of enterpiïse and thrifUessness on arriving at hls destination. Few people are likely to build palatial residences and highly cultívate and improve a iiinn to which there is not easy access. Few villajes which depend largely on agricultural for business fan long continue in a state of prosperity if the public thoroughfares leading to and frorn (hem are not such as will render ingresa easy and pleasant. Since the dry season lias begun to set in wc have heard numerOUfi coinplaints of the bad condition of the roads fn this vicinity, mostly on account of the depth of' the Band, which renders travel and teamlng sluLgish, wearlsome aiu! tedious. 'l'liis is a state of things that ought not exist. Kelther the village nor the farmers can keep pace wlth the jreDeral progress of the a-re at this "poor plodding rate." There must be decided iuiiroveinent in the cliaracterof our public roade, if we would not fall beliiud in the race of growtli and pro.sperity. l'liere are a nuraber of raethods by wliich roads may be improvcd. We will not presume to díctate which is best. Elther of them dntibtless will be more or less expensive. Hut there Is very little of i"(l in tliis world tliat don't cost anythinp. And in the long run n heavy outlay tn this respect will be money In pocket. A good rond tu a farm will enhance its vultit', more thaii the road costs And wheu we take iiito eonsideration the increased expense of marketing producís over bad roads, the wcar and tear of wagon, liarncss, horses und poor human nature, a good road would be cheap at anv reasonable price. To tnx i towi.ship enough to put uil its roadi in tirst-class repair m a tingle season, would probably be very burtlunsomc, bul if an increaeed tax should be levied each year tdr a successiou years and a certain per eentage of its roads nade pennaneiitly good each year, we woukl none of us be inuch grayer, befare he whole system of roads woul 1 become irst cías.", without any serious burden to he tax-payer. Posaibly we may need letter rond lawa; we kuow we neéd better roads.

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Courier
Old News