No. 6. DBPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 666 



farmer can say: "We will not help build good roads because the 

 citizens drive over theiu and wear them out." 



The present law gives the farmer the advantage of the county lax 

 levied in cities and boroughs insoniuch that no part of the county 

 tax is used in the improvement of the roads in cities or boroughs 

 except where a portion of a through or main road is in a borough 

 and the reconstruction of which will be the connecting link between 

 roads already reconstructed or inii)rov'ed. There is reciprocity in 

 the fullest and best sense of the word, in good roads. No farmer, 

 citizen, taxpayer, State, county or township can afford to be with- 

 out them. I believe with DeWitt Clinton: "That every judicious im- 

 provement in the establishment of Good Roads and iiridges in 

 creases the value of land, enhances the price of commodities and aug- 

 ments the public wealth." 



I have heard it said that the road law is a failure; it cannot be 

 made a success; the farmers will have nothing to do with it. There 

 is no question as to the fact that the farmers can make the law a 

 failure or a success. A failure of the law is not and will not be, be- 

 cause the farmers appreciate the fact that it will be a great benefit 

 to them and have decided to give it a fair trial and hearty support. 

 The Department has had many difficulties to contend with and over- 

 come and expects to meet and overcome others as vv'e progress. It 

 is no small task to establish such a movement, to build up the sys- 

 tem from nothing. It was with a full sense of all that was involved 

 that I entered upon the duties of the office. Since the organization 

 of the Department, September 1, 1903, I have been in many parts 

 of the State, attended meetings as called upon, and have found a 

 very deep and earnest desire on the part of the farmers and other 

 citizens to become posted as to the workings of the law. The De- 

 partment has to this date received forty-six applications for State 

 aid in the reconstruction of township roads, and one application 

 from a county asking for aid in the reconstruction of a road that 

 the county had originally taken under the act of 1895, and which had 

 been destroyed by the severe rain storm of last October, making in 

 all 47 applications. These applications aggregate 98.37 miles; the 

 longest road applied for being six miles and the shortest 1,400 feet. 

 These applications have come from all parts of the State: Snyder, 

 MerceF, Crawford, Beaver, LackaAvanna, Lehigh, Cumberland, Hunt- 

 ingdon, Delaware, Warren, Lycoming, Chester, Montgomery, Mon- 

 tour, Susquehanna, Clinton, Northampton, Northumberland, Berks, 

 Greene, Bucks, Erie and Lawrence counties being represented, a total 

 of 23 counties, or one-third of the whole number in the State, and I 

 knoAv of several more that are getting ready with their applica- 

 tions. Contracts are ready to be signed for the work in two coun- 

 ties, Crawford and Snyder. Bids are being received for the work 

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