Farm Boys And Good Roads

Foryears the studentsof social and industrial problema have been viewing with alarm the fact that the sous of men employed in agrieultural pursuits do not as a rule follow in the footsteps of their fathers. "Why do the boys leave the farm?" is the question they ask. AVell it may be that the boys leave the farm beeause they don't vvish to take the mean oíd thing with them when they go to the city. And boys may prefer to live in the city for the reason that with the miserable roads found in many communities.to be removed a few miles from a town means almost complete isolation from the centres of thought and activity. If the average boy wishes to go into the town, he must drive a mud-road plug of a horse and a rock-rocked eart of some sort. A . farmer can't be expected to keep up a neat appearing turnout and drive over roads that are ruinous to horse and carriage. It is the isolation of farm life a boy dreads. He cannot get about freely to keep in touch with people. There is a lack of society in the country because there is wanting the means necessary for people to get together happily and conveniently. If every rural community, naturally the most channiug place to reside, liad plenty of good, smooth roads, there would be a social life among farmers that would be quickening, educating and elevatiii}; in its infiuence, and farm life would possess a charm for yching people that is now sadly lackingiu many localities. Boys and girls do not like a pent-up life. Give them good roads to go on when and how they will. The higlnvay is the great thoroughfare along which the world passes. Ambitious, purposeful youth will not live back in the fields in solitary conflnement. It is going to get up close to the front gate of existence and see what's going on. Fix it so the farmer boys can get somewhere and and they '11 comeback again. Condition, circumstance, Is not the thing: Bliss is the same in subject or In king.